Fade Away
by TheRedConverseGirl
Summary: "And don't even think of doing something stupid and taking him from me. He's my light.." and the only thing saving me of my shadows. [SasuSaku] [Slow-burn]
1. Prologue

***Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related, _unfortunately_.

* * *

He can feel it before he can see it. The bright chakra sparkling and filling the corridor outside the door separating them.

It's been five years since he last step in this office, and it still felt like yesterday. The new Hokage changed the decoration, but the room still looked the same, excluding the random dog that was occasionally around or below the desk.

The person outside didn't knock and didn't hesitate to barge in like he owned the place. He was as loud as ever, and the scene flooded the room with nostalgic memories.

The difference was, when his blonde friend — brother and teammate — crossed the threshold, he was not alone. On top of his shoulders, a small dark-haired boy grinned while holding onto blond locks, purchasing his safety.

Naruto leaned forward and brought both of them inside, turning around to close the door he muttered under his breath. "What's the emergency sensei? You know I was babysitting today and— "

The words died as Naruto noticed the presence by the window, silence filled the room instantly.

He could feel the discomfort seeping from his teammates. Kakashi had stilled and Naruto stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Sasuke.." Naruto whispered.

Well, that was unexpected. He had mentally prepared himself for a loud reunion or at least a few shouts and a Teme here and there, maybe a couple jumps. But Naruto was — the disbelief on his face morphed into disdain in a mere second, and Sasuke frowned, trying to understand what the problem was.

"What did I tell you about little children in the Hokage Office, Naruto?"

"I'm a big boy now Kashi-ojichan!" The little boy said while pointing towards the Hokage, the gesture so familiar that Sasuke wondered if he should recommend a different babysitter to the poor kid's parents. Better cut the evil by the root, were the wise words of his Okasan.

Naruto glared at his old sensei and moved the little kid down to his feet with a natural maneuver like he did that every day. He didn't look Sasuke in the eyes yet and that just unsettled him. His eyes narrowed.

**"**Uncle Naruto was teaching me how to throw shuriken!" The boy run to Kakashi, climbing to sit on his lap.

"Is that so, Akira-kun?"

"Sakura-chan is going to kill me this time." Naruto sighed, scratching his head and finally looking at the other person in the room.

The chatter was dulled in the back of Sasuke's mind. He wasn't paying attention on their social interaction — too preoccupied with the Dobe's unusual behavior — but it seemed that his team was certainly fond of the little boy.

"So, you're back."

"Hn."

"Why?"

"..You don't want me here?"

"We thought you didn't want anything to do with us." Naruto crossed his arms and walked closer to the window, staring at the buzz outside coming from the busy streets of Konoha. "Or at least with some of us."

When Naruto locked eyes with him again, Sasuke was taken back by the hard look he was receiving. Some of them..? Was this because of the letters? "Don't be so dramatic.."

"I'm not." Naruto cut in with finality and added: "I just didn't expect this from you. We are the same, you know? We grew up without a family, and you willingly threw your second chance away."

Sasuke raised a brow while contemplating his friend's words. Was Naruto saying he didn't have a place in their mismatched family? Team Seven family?

For many years, Sasuke tried to sever his bonds with all members of his team. He knew it was nearly impossible and he had his half limb as proof. He didn't remember or maybe he never noticed how that felt though. The words were few but enough to heave his heart and drop it to his stomach. Maybe he was too late, maybe he didn't have a place in Konoha — maybe he didn't have a family or home to return to all along.

He never stopped to consider what he did. He left in a rush, before the feelings tied him down in this place and he missed the chance to redeem himself. He had to become the man that deserved a home, that deserved this family and that deserved their feelings — all of their feelings. Was that the reason?

Naruto sighed — dramatically this time — and turned to talk to Kakashi, who was standing closer now, beside them.

The little boy was still there, an energy ball talking almost non-stop. Sasuke was pondering his short conversation with Naruto when he noticed how the boy would glance his way every second or two. He was looking at him with curiosity — his big green eyes shining, and his cheeks were dusted pink due to the chilly autumn weather.

Bouncing on his heels, the boy unraveled his red scarf in a haste and deposited on Naruto's arm, throwing also his mittens. He stepped in front of Sasuke, looking up expectantly, he slid his hoodie and bowed deeply.

"Hi Sir, I'm Haruno Akira. Nice to meet you!"

The gesture was formal and respectful, something that wasn't seen these days. But it wasn't the traditional greeting that left Sasuke stunned.

Akira had leaned forward so quickly and sharply that his unruly dark locks moved along with him, the locks bounced and sticked to all directions.

When Akira straightened up, placing his hands tightly to his sides, Sasuke could only see the bright green eyes — maybe a shade or two darker — but so like the ones he missed so much, looking back at him.

"Haruno..?"

* * *

Realization came quicker to Naruto than any other time in his life. Sasuke was pale, more than usual, and he had probably stopped breathing. His eyes were empty but still slightly wider than the stoic Uchiha would like to keep.

The feeble movement backwards confirmed his suspicions. Sasuke had just figured everything out — or Naruto hoped he did — and was about to faint at any moment.

"The coin just dropped, Kaka-sensei." Extending a hand forward he continued: "You can pay me now, I won."

* * *

Sasuke was sure he had stepped in the wrong place from the very beginning. He checked the room for genjutsu twice — and was about to check with his Rinnegan too — when he noticed there was a transaction happening in the background and the little boy was still frozen in place, politely waiting for him.

Pitying his friend's lack of social skills and the newness of the storm that was sure happening behind those infamous eyes, Naruto intervened while still counting the bills he just received. "This is Uchiha Sasuke, you can call him Mr. Uchiha or Uchiha-san for now."

Kakashi snickered not so quietly behind his mask, for the surprise of all adults present in the room.

"I'll drop Akira off at Ino's and try to grab Sakura-chan." Naruto nodded to them and turned to leave. "Come on, Kiddo."

When he left, before the door was closed, anyone could hear the impartial — but still cold — voice of the Hokage "You should take a sit, Sasuke. There's a lot to talk."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey!

This is my first attempt of writing a multi-chapter fic.

I'm posting the first chapter to see how it's welcomed and if I should continue writing it.

I hope you guys enjoyed it! Feel free to share your thoughts :)


	2. The Ending of a Season

The faded leaves danced while descending to the ground, making a new home around the pavement and imprinting the end of the season through the village.

The morning breeze was chilly, a stark warning for all the early birds that the sun outside was a faux safe blanket.

Sakura inhaled deeply, eyes closed, and head held high. She grinned to no one and felt a little silly. Today was a good day.

She fixed her scarf, walking slowly through the busy streets of Konoha, that a couple weeks ago were deserted. The mixed sounds filling the background used to upset her in the morning, the time of the day that she usually liked to think or just be in silence. But not this time. Today, the chatter of vendors and customers — bargaining for a good deal or exchanging pleasantries — was like heaven.

It only indicated how busy everyone was, how busy she was too. With Hospital work, daily tasks, leisure time with friends. All of that in Konoha.

Sakura doesn't know for sure how many days — or months — they were away. She stopped counting after the fortieth second one. They ended the war about two weeks ago. It took them three days to re-group and get back home.

She resumed her hospital duties in the same day, she had to take care of her boys — she wouldn't let anyone else, other than Tsunade of course,near them.

Greeting the vendor with the same bright smile, she stopped to get fresh fruits for her patients, not forgetting to also add an instant-ramen cup in her bag, today they deserved to be spoiled.

* * *

She entered the room while pulling her hair into a high ponytail. Bag and scarf balanced on the crook of her elbow.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Ohayo Naruto!" Instinctively she moved to grab the medical records by the end of the bed. "Sasuke." She added with a nod of her head while reading their file.

"Drop the medic hat, Sakura-chan! It's just us."

She groaned playfully. She couldn't really. It was an autopilot thing to be Dr. Haruno or Haruno-sama after crossing the hospital threshold. "I'll try. How are you two feelings? Any phantom pain?" She asked while scanning through their overnight report.

Sakura had healed them thoroughly in The Valley of The End — and again in Konoha. She had also visited them every day for check-ups and the occasional treat giving. But secretly, she just missed them — missed being around them, all together again.

Naruto told her that she was either being a mother hen — overprotective and caring — or Dr. Haruno, with the big words and orders. He preferred the former, because at least, he'd get a treat by the end of the day if he was lucky.

"Same old same old, we're great — no pain. Now tell me about you."

"Tch. Don't speak for me Usuratonkachi."

"Are you in pain then!?"

"No."

"So chill, Teme."

Sakura sighed "Be nice you two, or no treats today." She lifted the bag of fruits to their eye level and Naruto automatically stopped, muttering a "sorry" and crossing his arms. She had to still a laugh, the scene was so nostalgic it hurt.

Moving to sit on the stool in the middle of the two beds, Sakura placed her bag on the nightstand they shared. She removed Naruto's instant ramen first, placing it on his side, them she proceeded to place a carton of grape tomatoes closer to Sasuke's side.

That made them lit up instantly, and Sakura thought there wasn't better place to spend her mornings than to taking care of these two. Nothing was as smooth as it seemed though, there was a lot of work ahead of them.

She always imagined that Sasuke's return would be natural, they would go back to the way they were when they were genin. But the responsibilities and circumstances involved proved that idea wrong.

She didn't realize she was daydreaming until Naruto nudged her knee a few times. "Earth to Sakura-chan!"

Sakura shook her head to clear her thoughts, automatically stretching a hand to grab the carton of strawberries inside of the bag and opening it. "Sorry, I didn't sleep until three in the morning." It was a half-lie, so she didn't feel bad about it.

Naruto moved closer and picked a faded leaf that was tucked within rose locks. He scrunched up his nose and whispered a "gross" under his breath while tucking a loose strand behind the pink-nin ear.

It was too intimate, Sasuke thought. The gesture wasn't something shared between friends, he wouldn't do that with a friend at least. And that made him wonder how close Sakura and Naruto got in his absence.

"Why gross?"

"Because it's brown, and it's dirty and dead!"

Sakura laughed and swatted his hand away playfully. "It's a cycle, Naruto." She explained while playing with her strawberries, deciding which one would be eaten first. "It might be faded and ugly, because it lost its color and vibrancy, but it's making room for new leaves and new flowers – new beginnings."

"Besides, everything could fade, turn ugly – and then blossom again, becoming something good, beautiful and bright." She added and popped a small strawberry in her mouth.

Sasuke wasn't sure if Sakura was still talking about leaves and nature. Her words were calm and sweet and brought some warm within him that he couldn't name. He tucked it inside in a corner, along with his previous suspicion about his best friends.

"Wow, when did you become so inspiring?"

She scoffed, faking the hurt of his implication. "I'll have you know I learnt from the best."

They laughed in unison and she winked. He was still an outsider and he wasn't blaming them for not including him on their small talk – he didn't do small talk. Sasuke was always an observer, looking from the outside and learning the details that wouldn't be present under ordinary eyes. So, it didn't bother him he repeated to himself.

"Why didn't you sleep earlier?" Sasuke's deep voice – scratching due to little use – cut in snapping two heads toward him.

Sakura was surprised to say the least. She couldn't remember the last time Sasuke asked her anything personal. She's his doctor and teammate, but deep down, she knew they weren't that close – before or now – and she wouldn't admit out loud, but she wondered if they were ever friends.

By the time Sakura addressed the question, Naruto had already returned from Kami knows where – when did he leave? – and was stirring his ramen, back on his bed.

"Well, with all this free time I'm getting, I decided to catch up on some reading." She clasped her hands together excitedly. "And I finally could read the second book in my favorite series. I couldn't put it down until three."

"So, you were reading Ero-Sennin's novel!" Naruto moved to a kneeling position, giving the medic-nin his full attention now.

"Yes! I can't remember when we read the first one, it seems it was so long ago."

It was a time where training was their priority and the forthcoming of war wasn't as present. Naruto had just returned from his travels with Jiraiya, bearing gifts to all his closest friends. Kakashi had received a copy of the new Icha Icha book and was thrilled. Even Tsunade got something – a rare bottle of sake from the knucklehead.

For Sakura, he had brought along several souvenirs from each corner of the world he passed, but what she treasured most – for their surprise – was a light-novel which was co-written by Jiraiya and a mysterious author that went by the pen name of Hishigata.

Differently from most of the Legendary Sannin's work, this series had a romantic touch that was more believable. The epic shinobi battles and the drama present complemented the storyline, making it a page turner. It didn't have any pictures, allowing the reader to use their imagination to create their own version of the story.

It didn't take more than five pages and the Mujouken series became Sakura's favorite. She had hesitated at first, assuming it was a gift that fitted their sensei better. Then, in a random night that Naruto was over – and they were eating ice cream half-drunk – he tossed the book her way, plopped down on her bed, and asked if she could read him a bedtime story.

She couldn't deny him. It was his eyes – it carried the innocence of a child craving something he never knew, he never had. So, Sakura entertained him. By the second chapter, she was creating voices for the characters and using her imagination to paint the story. It became a tradition: sake, ice-cream, and Mujouken.

"Ugh! And this one was so much better! The tension and the anticipation – I live for that shit." Sakura exhaled dreamily, eyes shining and a hand over her heart, closed in a tight fist.

Sasuke was half paying attention until the mention of one of the Sannins. He made the connection quickly and stilled, holding a tomato mid-air. If Sakura was reading Jiraya's books, does it mean that..? No! She wouldn't pick up the same perverted hobby as Kakashi, right?

"I bet you do, you sap!"

"Naruto!" Sakura threw a strawberry on Naruto's head. He caught it easily.

"Ok! You need to tell me the quick version, come on! It's not the same without your interpretation!"

What? Interpretation? Icha Icha interp—

If he had any doubts, that was the confirmation. The train of thoughts that Naruto's last sentence triggered was enough to tinge his checks and the tip of his ears red.

"Oh Kami, Naruto, no! You know how ridiculous it gets, especially with the catch phrases and voices." Sakura covered her face with both hands and turned the stool, twirling away from them.

"Come, on! You're a great actress and I want to know what happens to Karasu and Hana!" Naruto poked her with the back of his chopsticks and tried to persuade her: "And Sasuke hasn't seen any of that yet! Say, Sasuke, you need to see this, Sakura-chan is the best!"

Naruto stopped poking her back and glanced Sasuke's way. The first thing he noticed was that his stoic friend was blushing. Blushing? "Teme? What's wrong?"

Sakura was twisting on her stool to face her friends again when Naruto continued: "Just because Sakura-chan is great at telling Ero-Sennin's story, especially with her hands and—"

Oh. Ohhh.

And realization fell into place when she saw the furious blush Sasuke was sporting. Sakura was mortified. Did he think that she would read and interpret that book? For Naruto? "Oh Kami, Naruto! He thinks we are talking about a different book – th-the orange one!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He tried to dismiss the misunderstanding moving his hands frantically. "NO, NO, NO! Oh Kami, No! Please, no! – We're talking about the light novel series, with actual stories and fights and—"

"This novel is not, uh, graphic, Sasuke-kun." She said looking at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. "It's just romance and adventure."

"Come on, Sakura-chan, be honest." Naruto shrugged and teased: "It's a bit descriptive.."

"Baka! You're not helping here!" She got up pacing between the beds with her arms flinging up and down in a string of muttered curses. "Ok. Ugh. It is – a little tiny bit descriptive, you see."

"There's smut for sure – but we skip those parts." Naruto whispered, covering his mouth and leaning towards Sasuke's bed. Sakura didn't seem to have caught that.

"The battle scenes are just so good. Real shinobi battles. And the story of, uh, unrequited love, and friends to enemies to lovers is so intriguing,"

"See, Teme, the hands." Naruto pointed to Sakura's rambling and how the passion for the story was making her move her hands frantically. Each action as lively as the previous one. He snickered when Sasuke's expression finally morphed in understanding.

The relief he was feeling was almost palpable. Sasuke's mind had gone overdrive and imagined so many things. It was annoying. But he could understand – what the Dobe said. Watching Sakura talk about something she clearly liked so much, it was – something else. It made his lips twitch and lift slightly every now and then. And if he was anyone else, he would have joined Naruto during his contagious laugh fits.

In the end, Sakura was kneeling on Naruto's bed, narrating the final battle where Karasu had his katana on Hana's neck, and the decision of killing someone that has loved him his entire life hung in the air. Her big green, green eyes would go wide and then narrow – so expressive bright eyes she had. And Sasuke thought that even though Naruto had pointed her hands as the best entertaining part, he preferred her eyes.

When she caught him paying full attention, she cut herself abruptly, murmuring something about errands to run and coming back later tonight. Naruto made her promise to tell them the full version of the story over sake and ice-cream, which he thought was an odd choice.

Alone in the room again, Sasuke asked if Naruto really liked that romance crap beside the great battle that Sakura had perfectly described, and the answer would stay with him forever.

"It doesn't really matter, you know. I've never liked books." And they both snorted at that.

Naruto explained that it was a tradition that he treasured fiercely. It started in a drunk night and along the months, and years after that, it only helped strengthen the bond with his little sister from another mister. In other words, it was a family tradition and no matter how silly, it was his. His family. And he found it all by himself.

"Sakura is older than you. By seven months."

"That's what you got from everything I said? And she's older than you too." Sasuke scoffed and Naruto added: "Besides, Sakura-chan all giddy and swooning is the cutest thing." Naruto moved his eyebrows suggestively. "Wait to see that in pajamas with ice-cream."

Even after years, there were things that never changed, and for that Sasuke was kind of glad, which surprised him. However, the new dynamic within the team and the little pieces he was learning everyday about the people that care for him – it was still something he couldn't fully grasp or feel part of, but he would try. He would try to turn this leaf.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey there,

Thank you so much for your feedback guys!

I'm working on this fic as much as I can, and I hope you enjoy the storyline!

Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts :)

xoxo


	3. The New Leaf

**A/N:** Hi there!

This week, a guest asked the following question: "but when you say that Sakura and Sasuke weren't close do you mean it or it is just a reflection of sakura's doubts?'

What I meant to show with that paragraph was how Sakura still reflects on the past, doubting moments she remember because I believe that after the war and the last rejection, she's trying to protect her heart - or the pieces she has left (before she can start picking them up). So, she overthinks everything related to Sasuke. Therefore it's a reflection of her doubts.

I hope that becomes clearer in the next chapters. You guys will see they rebuilding their bond ;)

Thank you for all the reviews, comments, favorites and kudos :)

**Happy reading!**

* * *

The following weeks passed faster than she expected.

The Hospital's hallways were imprinted on her mind. She could move blindfolded and she would still find her destination. The linoleum tiles clicking under her nin boots was another soothing reminder of how aquatinted she was with the newly renovated building.

Stacking a pile of files under her arm, she sighed and moved to the third floor, running the conversation that she was about to have in her mind. Sakura tapped her pen on her lips a few times, punctuating every detail. Humming in approval when she concluded she was ready, she pressed her right elbow over the doorknob, opening it with a quick twist and entering the room backwards.

When she looked up, she met a mismatched pair of eyes – so new and so familiar. She had dreamed of these eyes countless nights before. And seeing them again, deprived of the hate they carried for so long—. Her breathing picked up a bit and she mentally scolded herself.

"Oh, you're up!" She crossed the room in long strides stopping by the first bed. "And Naruto is not, unsurprisingly."

Sasuke snorted and moved from the windowsill. It was so unsettling – she would come in every morning, nine-thirty sharp. After four weeks, being taken care of by her was normal, it was routine. Still, he couldn't help but feel unease around her.

It wasn't like he despised her or anything – essentially he still didn't know how to act around her. With Naruto was easy, they would fight, bicker and compete – and in between all that, they would always fall in place, as brothers and teammates.

But with Sakura, he didn't know how to be her friend again. He didn't really know her – not as much as he thought. He knew twelve-year-old Sakura, but not this Sakura: a doctor, a strong and analytical kunoichi, an essential part of Team Seven and the village. A friend that he probably didn't deserve.

This Sakura was still a mystery. And he didn't know what to do with all that. For the first time, Sasuke realized that Haruno Sakura frightened him more than anything at the moment.

_Who is Haruno Sakura?_

"Well, I better wake him. I have some news."

She walked past him, an inch separating them between the beds, and he hold his breath when he got a sniff of her scent.

Shinobi don't wear perfume, well most of them don't, if they are smart and want to remain hidden from the enemy. And he knew Sakura could be even the smartest one in their cell. He didn't notice it before – a faint touch of cinnamon and something citric. Sasuke wondered if this was a new thing or maybe the kunoichi had adopted a vanity habit in times of peace.

"Wake up, Naruto! It's time!" She shook the blonde dramatically with more force than she should, and the bed creaked. Sighing, she leaned closer, bending forward, and said in a rushed tone: "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!"

"I'm up, I'm up! Let's go,"

And Sasuke couldn't help it, he broke in a laugh. It wasn't a belly laugh, but a long and rasp chuckle that got the attention of the other members of the famous Team Seven. Grinning from ear to ear, they joined the raven-haired nin.

A few minutes later, Sakura had teared up. Holding her belly, she sat on the stool and cleared her throat. "Ok! I come bearing news."

The serious tone made them sit closer. "Two good news for you Naruto, and two bad news for you Sasuke." The room was filled with silence and Sakura dreaded to continue.

"First, I'll be able to let you two out of the Hospital in a day. Your recoveries were stellar, and your cooperation only helped me in another project that will benefit both of you in the near future."

Sakura briefly explained, excluding medical and technical terms, how the Godaime has been working on a prosthetic arm made with Hashirama's cells. It was almost like a gratitude project at the beginning, one that everyone involved was proud to be part of. But the potential outcome could benefit shinobis and civilians all around the world. She told them she's helping when she can, and they believe it will be completed in a couple months. "Oh, that's one good news for you then, Sasuke-kun."

"How come this could be bad news, Sakura-chan?"

"Be patient, I'm getting there." She sighed and decided to rely the easy part first. "The other news is, once Kakashi-sensei is not so busy with all the transition work he's doing with the Shinobi Alliance, there will be a party to celebrate us – Team Seven – because of all our roles in the end of the war."

"Ok, I still don't get how these two things – fake arm aside – can be bad news to Sasuke."

"Well, the party speaks for itself,"

"Hn."

"The hospital release though, it's a bit complicated."

* * *

_It was way past working hours, but the Hokage was still in her office. Nursing a bottle of sake, Tsunade followed the frantic pace of her apprentice. They had had a secluded meeting which could change the future of the village hidden in the leaves forever._

_Only the people Tsunade trusted the most were present: Shizune, Sakura, Kakashi and Shikamaru. They went through the last events pre and post war, in order to reflect what they had done, and how they could prevent history to repeat itself._

_Sakura was moving around, pacing in circles in front of the Hokage's desk. Hands clenched into tight fists, muttering almost intelligible strings of words – a nervous habit that would surface in desperate situations, like this one._

_"This is—This is outrageous. They can't do that,"_

_She had never been so angry in her life. After learning the truths behind the Uchiha Massacre not even an hour ago, she was told that once Sasuke was released from the Hospital, he would be incarcerated and restrained of all his powers – chakra binds, eyes sealed, tied in a prison cell – until his trial. He had to answer for his crimes against The Leaf._

_It was despicable, inhuman, outdated – and she wasn't having any of that._

_Sakura had brought the point to her shishou, who agreed partially but couldn't find a way to bypass the council, which enraged her apprentice even more._

_"We need a new council." Simple as that, it would solve all of their problems and Sakura couldn't believe they hadn't done this before. For Naruto, for Sasuke, for their people._

_"As much as I would love to do all those things at once, Sakura, it's not so simple."_

_"They don't understand anything, those old bags—"_

_That was it! they don't understand anything, and Sakura would use it in her favor. So, she continued, the plan already formulating itself: "This can be a huge setback to his recovery as well."_

_"I thought he had recovered already." Tsunade said, arching a manicured brow and bringing the bottle to her lips._

_"Mentally, shishou," Sakura started, and she could see the lamp bulb shining on top of the Godaime's head. Sasuke could still be a patient, and above any law, a human being had the right to be treated prior any trial. He had to be in condition to answer questions through extensive periods, and that required a healthy body. However, cognition, interpretation, and impartiality required a healthy mind._

_Sakura knew that the Uchiha was in perfect condition to go through a trial at any point and answer all the questions the council threw his way. But she also knew how the same council had destroyed his life and how much he hated them – or how once he had his mind set to kill all of them and destroy Konoha._

_He wouldn't question anything; he would follow the orders like any shinobi. Even though the possibility of being in the same room with them could trigger a disarray of thoughts and feelings inside him. She couldn't allow him to go through that again, she couldn't see those empty eyes again._

_"It's like taking care of a scared cat," She explained, knowing well that Tsunade was following, looking the underneath the underneath. "..that lived in the streets and was mistreated its whole life. Would you give it comfort, food and love? Nurse him into a normal life? Or would you put it into a cage, leave food in a corner and barely look at it at all?"_

_The passion coming from her words was like a pillar, a fortitude created with love, care and dedication. And anyone listening to her speech would know that Sakura wouldn't hesitate to save any of her precious people. No matter the case._

_"Do you see where this is going? It's not because we can't see that it's not there," Sakura stopped pacing and turned to fully face her mentor. Furrowing her brow, she inhaled deeply before continuing: "Mental health is barely covered on what we know now, unfortunately. And I'm sure that if our doctors and medic-nins knew the impact that trauma has in little kids – war kids or any human being for that matter – years ago, we could have avoided so much heartache."_

_The Slug Princess was speechless, her lips that were pursed into a thin line gave in into a proud smirk. Now it was not time for praise, but she knew that Sakura understood, now it was time to set everything into action._

_"Fine," Tsunade said. Opening a drawer, she grabbed a blanked scroll and started to write the new orders. "Make it a house arrest and make him your pilot patient for the new clinic, the one you presented me last week."_

_Sakura had reflected on her teammates and sensei for the past few weeks. Everything that had happened between Kakashi and Obito, that had unleashed a chain of events and pain. She then reflected on Naruto's and Sasuke's childhood, and how she could have helped them. How she could have saved them from darkness and loneliness._

_After helping so many people during and after the war, adults and kids, she knew she had to do something. She didn't wish that fate to anyone, not even her worst enemy. A week ago, she had put together a plan to implement mental health studies in the hospital and a clinic for kids, which the Godaime approved after an impeccable presentation._

_"He will be followed by ANBU, twenty-four seven. He can walk around the village perimeters for now, as long as he attends all the necessary sessions in your clinic, or whatever you have in mind for him. He's a full-time patient after all."_

_Bright green eyes widened, vibrant and filled with tears. Sakura sighed and only nodded; she didn't need to say anything else._

_"You just got your beta patient; I expect a full report in two weeks." And because Tsunade was Tsunade, she added: "Make sure you let that brat know what you – we – just did to save his sorry ass."_

_"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'll do that." Sakura bowed in gratitude and straighten up with one last question in mind. She opened her mouth and lift a finger, but before she could say anything, it was answered before her:_

_"In the meanwhile, Kakashi and I will take care of the next step – the _new_ and _old_ council."_

* * *

"That's the plan." Sakura exhaled slowly and looked at them expectantly.

"Fuck, they can do that?" Naruto had a deep frown. His hands, twisting the sheets of his bed, trembled.

"Unfortunately, yes. It's expected to incarcerate missing nins until their trial. If Sasuke wasn't a patient and had a sway because of the final battle, he'd probably be there since day one. Straitjacket, chakra and eyes sealed—"

"Fuck, they can do that?" He repeated louder this time.

"I'm sure Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-sama will figure everything out. Sasuke will be pardoned and leave the trial mostly unscathed – but it could be months until the initial hearing or until they find an alternative."

Sakura looked at Naruto and then set eyes on the raven-haired nin, her brow knitted and the worry on her face was evident. Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke too, waiting for his answer.

"Forget it."

"You prefer to be imprisoned? Naruto said incredulous and couldn't help but ask: "Tied up and have your eyes sealed?"

Sakura egged on, knowing her teammate wouldn't accept help easily. "Getting food Kami knows when? Perishing slowly, with nothing, on your own filth—" No reaction, his blank face remained unfazed until: "with no true purpose in life, wilting away like moths of a cell?"

Sasuke winced inwardly. It was like he was in The Forest of Death again. The same girl, but younger, with longer pink hair, locking eyes with him and calling him a coward. Even though she wasn't, her eyes were determined to prove to him that everything she had done wouldn't be in vain.

"It doesn't need to be me. If that's the issue I mean." Sakura said, tucking in a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear. "Tsunade-shishou is busy, but Shizune-san or Ino can take my place and cover your sessions."

The idea of being a laboratory rat in her hands had crossed his mind, and it was initially the reason why he refused the way out so quickly. Maybe it was because of all the time he spent with the snake sannin – he wasn't sure. Besides, if it wasn't her, he wouldn't do it. She was the best medical ninja in the village.

"Like I mentioned, it's a brand-new branch of medicine that we want to explore. So, we don't have many medic-nins that are qualified to work in this area." She clasped her hands and stood up, walking slowly towards the window. Looking through it, her eyes glowed when she continued. "We want to help people that went through trauma, help children that suffered through this war."

She whispered the last part, like it should be a secret between them – or because she might be afraid to say too much too soon: "Don't you want to help others, Sasuke-kun? To not go through the same hatred that you did."

Unmoving, his hand clenched the fabric inside his pocket. If he was willing to change, to become a better person, a better friend, he had to start somewhere. "Fine."

Sakura pivoted quickly; eyes wide on him. Every so slowly, her pursed lips moved, and he saw a familiar smile springing free. A smile he hadn't seen in so long – as if she had saved it for this moment or saved it from him. Maybe because he didn't deserve the devotion behind it – but it was enough to confirm that whatever he agreed to; it was good.

"Good. I'll take care of the paperwork."


	4. The Blooming of a Friendship

He ran the length of the hallway, listening attentively to the echo of tiny feet rushing behind him. Without looking back, he opened the door on his left, keeping it open until his follower was inside.

They ran together – almost side by side – along another maze of corridors on the second floor. He was impressed; how a small child could keep up with his long strides. It must be the same as he was feeling; the fire running his veins – they couldn't get caught. And it was as terrifying as it was thrilling – considering who they were running from.

Between doors and windows, they finally found a safe heaven. They stopped temporarily, kneeling between two pillars that were shadowed by a large file cabinet. His breathing was shallow, he wasn't used to run like this anymore, and he made a mental note to train more regularly.

Looking down, Sasuke confirmed that his setback was small compared to his partner in crime. Eyes shining and cheeks flushed, the little boy was holding his dark locks over his forehead. The other hand was twisting his shirt tightly over his racing heart.

Sasuke's trained ears could pick up the humming even a few feet away. The kid was having a hard time catching his breath; looking distressed but excited at the same time. Maybe it was because he was so tiny and unexperienced, and Sasuke thought that he could offer him some guidance once they were done there – far away from this madness**. **That is, if the boy wanted to be a shinobi like his parents.

They didn't have much time; they could be discovered at any second. Sasuke could easily conceal himself, but his partner was barely able to keep quiet, let alone cover his chakra – he probably didn't know how to control any of it yet.

Sasuke tapped the boy's shoulder twice and he looked up, eyes widening for a second. Both of them brought their index finger over their lips, nodding in agreement.

A minute passed and Sasuke confirmed they weren't followed. But the person pursuing them was smart, very smart. She probably had warned security already; she knew this place better than anyone.

It was a stupid idea. He didn't have a plan and he acted on instinct; it was her fault after all – making him do all these things. _Tch_.

A gush of wind blew from behind them. His heart sped, and before Sasuke could whirl around, a hand was placed between his shoulder and neck. A clear warning to stop.

"Found you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered behind his shoulder. Catching her breath, she released small puffs of air over his neck, making his hair stand and his nape prickle. He stilled, cursing under his breath, and not long after she added: "And you too, Yuki-kun."

When he left the Hospital a fortnight ago, he thought that he would be given a place to stay and he would suffer through intrusive and pointless psychological sessions with Sakura. He never expected to experience all these different activities with the medic-nin instead.

Sasuke was indeed placed in a one-bedroom apartment, in a new complex right outside downtown. It was just a five minutes rooftop-hopping to the Hospital and the Hokage tower, and less than ten minutes to the market and Naruto's place. He hasn't been to Sakura's yet, but he believed it was not so far too. Other than the training grounds, which were a bit distant, there were no other places he had to go.

In next to no time, he learned that Sakura was a very thoughtful doctor; she had assigned him some training every morning. She explained that _kata_ would be good to work his muscles and also to help him with his sole arm. He had to learn how to use only one for now – and the movements would hone his skills to adapt.

After training, he usually met Naruto for lunch and sometimes Sakura would tag along – if her schedule allowed her. In the afternoons though, Sasuke would have a session with Sakura. And what intrigued him the most about them was that they were never what he ever expected – there was something new every day.

She never forced him to talk, never pushed him to address issues or outstanding questions. Sakura told him that she would always be there for him, as a doctor or a friend, and whatever he chose, there would always be patient-doctor-friend confidentiality.

The first session was basically that; rules or more like guidelines to understand their work together. Yes, together. Sasuke was going to help her build a program for the kids and this would be his contribution as a patient – using his own experience as a child and survivor of a dark path to bring a different insight and approach to following sessions were somewhat interesting.

One time, Sakura took him and Naruto to a D-rank mission, which they volunteered without pay. They collected garbage from the riverbank and cleared the pathway around it. Then he had to write a report of how he felt – _of all the things_ – and what he accomplished.

Another time, she took him to a part of the hospital he didn't know existed. They visited orphan children; causalities of the war and precedent attacks. She told him more about the clinic and how she wanted to provide a safe place – a home – for these kids.

Sasuke was silent during all the visit, but he paid full attention anyway. He saw some kids alone, some pretending to be sleeping, some crying, and some playing ninja with paper folded shurikens. Others running around, bugging nurses and a few gushing over Sakura-sensei.

He wondered – during most of that day – what could have happened if this clinic existed a decade ago or before. What could have happened if he had a support system and someone as caring as Sakura to lean on? Would he become an avenger and desert the village anyway? Would he seek any form of revenge at all? Would Naruto be hated and isolated too? Would they become friends earlier?

By the fifth session, the anticipation of what he would experience with Sakura became unceasing. Be it training kata together, paint, read, or play hide and seek with the kids at the clinic; whatever _annoying_ activity, he noticed he started to look forward to it.

He still did not have a new purpose in life, nothing set in stone. The avenger died out and this Sasuke, he was still new. And he decided it was ok to take some time to figure it out, to figure him out.

Most of days, Sakura would remind him he could always ask for help – no matter what he needed. She would tell him that it wasn't a weakness – to have people in your life ready to help you – it was a gift. Everyone would need help at some point, and it was rewarding to assist when she could. Sasuke told her then that one day he would take her up on the offer.

When the second week arrived, his routine with Sakura was reflex: she would either meet him at his apartment and take him to the session or he would walk to the hospital after lunch with Naruto. Sakura would greet him, ask pleasantries questions, and if there was anything she could do to help him that day. "How's the arm?" She would ask, then add "How are your eyes?".

Then, they would go through their session and walk home together. The first time, she pointed a townhouse on their way, telling him it was her place. She continued walking anyway, leaving him in front of his door, a few blocks along the same street. One particularly good day, he snorted and commented how they had it on reverse, and he should be the one walking her home instead.

Earlier that week, he asked her how she came up with all these unusual sessions and why they were so different than the regular therapy he knew. She told him that most of these children didn't experience life as they should; as a kid. And in order to adapt, to go back to a society they barely knew, they needed to learn how to be children again – gradually. They needed to learn that they could still be loved and cared for no matter the circumstances.

Everything is still so new, she echoed, and to better support people that went through trauma, they had to understand the different ways they could help – what motivated change and what helped them progress.

Each trauma was different and there were several ways to work on them. Sometimes they only needed a parental figure present, sometimes they craved and needed attention, and sometimes they wanted to be more independent. However, the constant she found was simple: respect and love. And they could find them here; in the clinic, within their new family and friends.

And for the first time in weeks, Sasuke didn't question himself about his decision. He had made the right one. He was proud of being part of this project. And even prouder of his teammate.

"Sakura-sensei!" Yuki sprang to his feet from his crouched position and jumped on Sakura, little arms flailing towards pink. They fell backwards – all three – forming a ball of laughs and limbs. They were caught, game over.

* * *

"Next time, please remember: No running on my hallways, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

They were walking home together. After Sakura scolded them for causing a mess on the first floor and hiding on the second, they took Yuki back to the clinic and then left.

Sasuke got an earful too, for his own surprise. He never considered it; that one day we would be in the end of her wrath. Sakura had seized his wrist and pulled him into her office, muttering a thread of curses that even Naruto would refuse to repeat.

Her cheeks were flushed red – from running or anger, he didn't know. Her eyes glimmered, narrowed on him; lips curled, and brows furrowed deeply. Her hair was messy and sticking to the perspiration on her neck. She paced the room, stripping her white coat in the process.

His eyes followed the pink nin and each one of her actions. Instead of finding her anger towards him terrifying as he assumed before, he thought it could only be described as exhilarating – and perhaps he didn't mind seeing her like that again.

Her arms flexed – highlighting the contours of her graceful muscles – when she took the second sleeve off, removing the offended layer completely. Sasuke found it was suddenly hard to swallow; his throat felt tight and dry. From the adrenaline crush or the events followed by it, he couldn't place what was causing his discomfort.

Sakura stopped in front of her desk, slamming her hands on the surface, and leaning towards him. He could hear the hardwood cracking under her fingers. She parted her lips, and he could see how they trembled slightly. Closing her eyes, she said only one word, in a raspy but firm voice: "Explain."

Once he told her how he found Yuki alone – all by himself, while the other kids were playing hide-and-seek – and how he made his mission to include the little boy somehow; she looked calmer, content.

He thought it was the right thing to do; since the boy would never try it himself. He just needed a little push. So, Sasuke told her just that.

In the end, he didn't apologize – not with words. However, Sasuke knew the medic nin had seen it, the shame of his actions that were reflected on his eyes for a mere second.

"Thank you," Sakura repeated when they were almost at his door. "For everything." She stopped and glanced his way. "Yuki has a lot in common with you, you know. He's quiet and prefer to keep to himself."

He only nodded. She would keep showing her gratitude towards him, when she was the one doing so much. _Tch_.

"He lost his parents, not long ago." Sakura's eyes dejected instantly, glinting as they could spill fresh tears any moment. "Today was the first time I saw him smiling – playing – being a kid. So, thank you, Sasuke, it means a lot to me."

He had stopped beside her, lone hand in his pocket. Turning to face her, Sasuke took in her expression; seeking for hints or anything that could help him understand the mystery behind this girl. So selfless, always helping everyone.

The pink nin probably misunderstood the action, as she quickly averted her eyes and explained. "I know you probably hate all this, but even though you're not the most sociable person in the world, they like you a lot – the kids." She smiled then, locking eyes with him. "I can't believe it; they probably like you more than they like me."

Sasuke frowned instinctively; how could someone like him better than Sakura? How could anyone like him at all? After everything—

The scratch of his nin sandals against the pavement and the sharp pressure on his shoulder stopped his train of thought. Sakura had punched him. With only a fraction of her strength, but enough to push him a couple feet backwards.

Pretending to be hurt, she stated: "You're always quiet in a corner, only observing. You don't open your mouth, you only nod and sit around. And they-they think you're _so cool_."

For the lack of response, Sakura clucked her tongue. Looking up, she pierced him with emerald spheres and demanded:"You need to tell me your secret, Uchiha! You have the girls swooning and the boys impersonating you!"

Sasuke snorted and shook his head. His dark locks swaying with the brusque movement, uncovering a lone amethyst orb. A signature smirk taking place, angling his lips.

And Sakura could only stare; imagining when in the world she would see this scene unfolding if they had given up on him before. The string around her heart squeezed its hold, making her breathe unevenly. Using her perfect chakra control, she steadied herself easily, and was about to ask what was so funny when he bet her to it.

"Not long ago, you thought the same. So, you must know it already."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back. _What was wrong with him?_ _Teasing? About their turbulent past?_ It seemed that word-vomit was contagious and being around his female teammate every day had finally got to him.

Sakura's eyes widened; blinking once, twice. Then, she scoffed brashly.

Before he could apologize or do anything to erase the last minute from existence, she giggled, wiping a tear that escape her eye. "Yeah. I did, didn't I?"

Sakura moved her hands behind her back and resumed their walk. "But that was long ago, like you said. That little girl doesn't exist anymore."

She didn't look back to see his reaction. And maybe she should have, because the look of confusion and uneasiness was vivid on Sasuke's face. Even though her words were teasing, and her voice was soft and carrying the lightness of their blossoming friendship, he couldn't help but notice the accentuated tinge of melancholy.

The raven-haired nin muttered an "I know" that was probably too low for her to catch, and he moved to follow her, staring at the circle on her back.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey!

I know this chapter didn't have many interactions, but there were things that had to happen to build some character development. _Unintentionally, this is becoming a slow-burn haha_. But progress has been made and things will heat up soon! :p

I hope you guys liked it anyway!

xoxo


	5. The Flower Under The Moon

**A/N:** Hello!

First, I would like to say thank you - twice - for all your reviews, comments and kudos. Apparently, the rush to post a chapter mid-week made me forget my manners. So thank you so much for all your kind words sent between the past two chapters - or all of them - they fuel my imagination :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter (it's a little longer yay!)

_*Please check my note at the end for an important notice._

**~ Happy Reading!**

* * *

The tick tock of the alarm clock echoed sharply. The night was calm, and the pale moonlight bathed the bedroom through the parted curtains. The rustle of the sheets accompanied the punctual noise, searching unconsciously for a forgotten slumber.

It wasn't unusual, not anymore. Sleepless nights like this one.

She had tried – really, really hard — to stop overthinking things. But her traitorous heart wouldn't allow her to let it go. For what it was worth it, she had tried.

After two months of having _him_ under her tutelage, she had definitely fallen into the stereotype: 'Doctor falls in love – _again_ – with patient'. She groaned loudly in frustration, moving her hands to cover her face. "What are you doing?"

With a tired sigh, she moved the blankets off of her and swung her legs to the side of the bed, sitting up straight. Peering through the window, she observed the stars and how they shined, soothing the midnight-blue of the night sky.

She had promised herself she wouldn't go there; she wouldn't play around with ideas and dreams. She wouldn't look for something it wasn't there. She wouldn't open her arms wide for another rejection. Her shoulders slumped down at the memory – sadly, it was still fresh.

But a mere look her way, and she was panting; heart pounding against her ribcage, leaving her breathless. _Does he know? the effect he has on her._

She scoffed and the sound reverberated in the room. It was going to be another long night. She stood up and moved toward the kitchen, taking in the darkness that enveloped the rest of her house. Even though she didn't have a special _kekkei genkai_ to enhance her sight, she was still a ninja, and she could move easily in the familiar room.

She reached for the cupboard. Standing on her tiptoes, she grabbed her favorite tea. The kettle was already pre-filled, and its content would boil soon enough. The murmur of water heating up pushed her back to her thoughts.

It was becoming difficult to work with him. She was getting attached to the little things – _to him_. And nothing good would come from that.

He was genuinely helping her with this project. And watching him – working with the kids – not only constricted her heart during every second, but it also made her raging hormones scream 'baby daddy' thrice a day – _in a good day that is_. It was madness.

Tsunade had given her a knowing look, accompanied with a smirk, when she came to her office to complain during the first couple weeks, making up excuses to assign him to a different doctor.

The Hokage had laughed, fist pounding her desk rhythmically, and confirmed that the only condition requested by the Uchiha brat was that his doctor was none other than the pinkette.

Sakura had widened her eyes upon the confession**,** and Shizune had to wave her off with a cup of water, which was secretly baptized with a spoonful of sugar. The medic nin left the office in a trance. Later that night, she vowed that she wouldn't duel into _his_ request – _easier said than done_.

Sasuke was a private person, and he didn't like anyone invading his personal space – or peripherals. It was simply natural; to ask for a familiar face that would know his quirks.

Then, she would think about all the other little things. How he was polite and would listen to her somewhat attentively; he wouldn't start conversations, but he would carry it with a hint of interest. He would get lunch with her – or for her – several times a week, and sometimes without the presence of their third teammate to chaperone – or to make it less date like.

Later in the clinic, he would help her carry stuff. Even though she could probably carry half the building by herself. He was also helping her with the kids for Kami's sake! The other day she caught him lecturing them and acting as a second in command. The way he was correcting their behavior, teaching them how to treat their friends; it was swooning worthy, and Sakura had to hold herself to not let a dreamy sigh escape.

Two days ago, she had doubled a hallway while sorting her files when she stopped abruptly on her tracks. Not even ten feet from her, Sasuke was crouched in front of a crying little girl, holding her ankle and inspecting a freshly scrapped knee. His hand encased the tiny leg completely, and Sakura had to turn around to not show the awe in her eyes – or before her hormones could try to claim something it wasn't hers.

When talking to her best friend, Ino had told her repeatedly, how they seemed to have their own routine, and how comfortable they were around each other compared to the few interactions the blonde recalled from the great shinobi war. Ino had also teased her telling how they seemed to carry a full conversation with their eyes – and sometimes, _the eye fucking thing_ would become too much for anyone in close proximity.

Sakura had flushed scarlet. Initially flustered, she waved her friend off. When baby-blue eyes questioned her with an amused look, Sakura commented that it was definitely Ino's imagination, as Sasuke wouldn't look at her like that – _right?_

Although after this morning's events, everything was foggy on Sakura's mind.

* * *

_She jumped from branch to branch with an inexplicable precision that could only be compared to her exceptional chakra control and fierce determination._

_Reaching a hand up and grabbing a higher twig, she leaped around, switching directions. Instead of sprinting again, she attached herself to a tree trunk, and worked on her erratic breathing. _

_They were training together today. She had the morning off, and with nothing else to do, she joined her teammates at the training ground three. _

_Everything started as a regular kata exercise, and then all of the sudden, Naruto screamed "Every man – uh, and girl – for themselves!" _

_It was silly, but they were all together, and nobody seemed to be against the nostalgic opportunity. _

_Her first reaction was to run and hide – and she noted that, ironically, this was something she had been doing a lot recently. A smile crept her lips when a memory of Sasuke playing hide and seek with her, and the kids at the clinic, flashed in her mind._

_She promised herself to keep everything that passed during those session completely professional. He was only her patient after all. However, he was now her friend too, and sometimes there was this thin blurry line – that they often crossed – where she didn't know what they were__**. **_

_Sakura couldn't really help herself; watching the dark-haired nin being so care-free and finally living – not only surviving. It was both torture and bliss. His relaxed features accentuated his aristocrat nose and cheekbones; his sharp jawline wouldn't clench—_

"_Now is not the time for daydreaming, Sakura."_

"_Son of a—" She paused for a second, eyes shutting close in momentary relief after recognizing the familiar deep voice. "—sneaky mother!" She hissed the final part, while holding a hand over her racing heart._

_Sasuke was hanging upside down on a branch above hers, his feathery black strands were brushing her nose, and his perfect lined brow was arched in question or amusement – she didn't know. If he had his other arm, she was sure he would be crossing them. _

"_Weren't we supposed to be each 'man' for themselves?" _

"_I thought we could team up. The last time I went against the Dobe alone, it didn't end well." He shook his stump to punctuate his statement._

_She was about to laugh when a hand covered her mouth abruptly. The gesture was familiar, but this time she could roll her eyes in response – instead of fear for her life. _

_In a swift movement, he dropped on his feet in front of her. The raven-haired nin snatched her by the waist, and jumped to the floor, pulling her along until they could hide between a rock and a tree. _

_The tiny space didn't help much, they were barely two inches apart, and their upper bodies would brush every now and then. Sakura pretended that the intermittent pounding on her chest was caused by the adrenaline of the quick maneuver. _

"_We need a plan," he whispered, while scanning the area with his Sharingan, sweeping left, right, up and down._

_Sakura looked up and noticed how he had grown almost a head taller than her. The glow of his eye in the dark space reflected on their faces; it was mesmerizing. She composed herself enough to try to talk, although, the words died in her throat instantly when he locked eyes with her. His chin brushed her nose and the sharp intake of air she took glued their bodies._

_She could feel both of them stilling in unison. Sasuke had averted his gaze, but his breathing had hitched, she noted. And the movement pushed her against the rock and his body. She wondered if maybe he wasn't as unaffected as he was showing._

"_He'll probably look for us using sage mode." Sakura said weakly, moving her head to the open space between the rock and beside his neck. _

"_Tch."_

_The well-known response was comforting, more now that it carried an easy that didn't exist before. "Cheater." She mumbled and received a low chuckle in response this time._

"_Let's go to him then."_

"_And do what? No sneaky attack for him?" She provoked, poking her finger over his chest._

"_Not exactly, but I take it our teaming up would be surprising enough."_

"_True." Sakura frowned lightly, placing a finger over her lips, she started: "What about we—" _

_She waved him closer – as if that was even possible – and cupping his ear, she whispered her plan. The affirmative nods she received after each sentence caused the brushing of his dark strands over her cheek and lips. And she thought that the concentration she had to muster to complete this task was greater than any other battle she experienced before. _

_When it was time to move, they ran in opposite directions, circling their blond friend. They had to wait for the right angle before setting everything in motion._

_The knucklehead – always loud – screamed at them, sending clones to all directions. But they had predicted that already. _

_Sakura jumped up, climbing to the top of a tree, seeking a higher ground. She positioned herself right behind Naruto, giving him her back. When Sasuke was running in front of the original, after he took down a handful of clones, they locked eyes. The signal was received, and she braced herself for the grand finale. _

_The last Uchiha shook his head lightly, moving the dark strands from his face and uncovering his Rinnegan. The lilac swirl emitted a frail glow before he activated its technique. _

_Sakura felt a light pull around her navel, and with a swish, she had switched places with Sasuke. _

_Withstanding a mean right hook, she punched an astonished Naruto, sending him hundreds of feet away._

_Sasuke landed gracefully. He aimed a smirk her way after accessing the damage along the path of scattered trees she produced with a single blow. _

_Their teamwork was flawless to a tee, and she couldn't help but feel proud. Sakura held an unrestrained grin while healing Naruto, who had complained during the whole ordeal, accusing them of treason. _

_Sasuke had been quiet afterward, and the frown knitting his brows had concerned the medic nin. "Are you ok, Sasuke-kun?"_

"_Aa,"_

"_Are you sure? You seem—"_

"_It's just my eye. I'm not used to switch places with large objects."_

_And by large, he meant her. Her reaction was simple: parted lips, slacked jaw and downcast eyes. It was comical how she could twist anything he commented to the worst possible thing – at least when it comes to her._

"_I mean, something bigger than a flak jacket." He quickly added once he noticed her dejected expression. _

_The shared memory brought a small smile to her lips, it was a terrifying and treasured memory. And the fact he was mentioning it, made her silly insecurities vanish. _

_And hesitantly, remembering how she pestered him about asking for help, he offered more for her sake than his: "Can you—Could you check it?" _

"_Sure. Come here." She waved him and tapped Naruto's head, who had it laid over her thighs during the healing. Naruto rolled to the side in response, and positioned his arms behind his head, sighing tiredly._

_By then, Sasuke was already in front of her, unmoving. She was sitting against a tree trunk, legs outstretched, waiting patiently. When he didn't move for another two minutes, she patted her thigh. The dark-haired him stared at her hands, a frown overtaking his features. _

"_Come on, Sasuke, I don't bite." _

"_If you ask nicely, she might." Naruto mumbled on his half-sleep state._

"_What?" She hissed through gritted teeth. Sakura knew Sasuke might have heard the tease, and she sent a quick pray to Kami – hopefully he didn't catch it._

"_Nothing, nothing." Came the muffled voice of her sleepy teammate. _

_She chose to ignore and pretend nothing had happened – this was awkward. Sasuke was probably not used to their banter. Since the blonde had grown out of his silly crush toward her, they had become even closer – they were like brother and sister. And recently, Naruto had taken the tease up a notch or two, tormenting her about dates, crushes, and boys – or mostly 'a boy' in particular. _

_Cautiously, Sasuke sat beside her, sliding slowly to the expected position. He laid his head on her right thigh, so unhurriedly that Sakura had to hold a chuckle. It looked like he was going to break her upon contact. _

_His dark hair brushed her knee and bare thighs, only an inch away from the hem of her black shorts. It was the softest thing she ever felt. "You can let go the weight; I won't break."_

"_Tch." _

_He closed his eyes, avoiding her gaze and the dust of pink gracing her cheeks. However, Sakura—she could stare freely now. His alabaster skin was smooth, no battle scars were present. His high cheekbones were sculptured, along with his sharp jawline. His eyes were tightly closed, wrinkling his brow. _

_Sakura reached her index finger to smooth the surface between his eyebrows. The movement was feathery-like and the touch burned her. She couldn't tell if it was his skin or herself – but whatever it was, it felt like touching an incessant flame; It was warm, and it tingled her skin. Except, opposing the predictable, it never hurt – it would never hurt. _

_The caress provoked an inquisitive expression that morphed into confusion for a second. She repeated the movement a few times, whispering a "relax" using a sweet tone – one that she saved only for him._

_She brushed his bangs away lightly. Prepared for the contact this time, he didn't flinch or overreacted, but Sakura could see the light hue under his lashes. She smiled softly, tucking this moment in her favorite corner for a replay later. _

_The soft green shade that emanated from her chakra covered his eyes when she placed her hands over his temples. Sakura could feel the restrain around his optical nerve and the path around his Rinnegan. Slowly, she concentrated her healing chakra around it, enveloping his eyes in a soothing cloud._

_The instant relief was visible when Sasuke let out an unrestrained sigh and finally relaxed under her touch. "Is this ok? It will only take me a few more minutes."_

_The hum the dark-haired nin pronounced in response brought goosebumps to her arms. And she had to control the involuntary shiver that travelled through her spine. Biting her lip, she looked down, admiring his serene face._

_Unconsciously, she used her opposite hand – the one that wasn't healing the Rinnegan's side – to tuck a strand behind his ear. Not able to stop, she combed his hair within her fingers, massaging his scalp lightly. He didn't protest or move her hand away; he didn't lean to her touch either, but Sakura felt when he adjusted his head to give her better access. Almost instantly, his breathing was low and even; he was fast asleep. _

_Sakura sat under that tree until the sunset. She took care of him – the 'object' of her affection, and she knew that everything that had happened today only meant one thing – trouble._

* * *

She didn't know for how long she had daydreamed. For how long she had relived the precious and unsettling memory. It brought her hope, and at the same time, it terrified her. If only the empty kettle, not whistling anymore, could tell time.

Sakura wasn't stupid – she knew that today wasn't the first time something like that happened. And she was also aware of how they seemed to exchange thousands of unspoken words with their eyes.

She wouldn't admit that during the day though, when the sun was up and people were watching, listening. She wouldn't spoil her precious little things with childish hope or pretentious comments from people that didn't really know them.

So, she lied to them – to the people around her – but not to herself, not anymore. Because during the nights, the sleepless nights where she had the company of her memories, tea, and her favorite novel, she would relive everything; honestly and fully. During the night, she would embrace herself and her feelings.

Differently from her namesake, Sakura wasn't a flower that bloomed upon the sun. Sakura thrived under the darkness of the night, bathed by the moonlight and the shining stars.

* * *

**A/N: **So, how was this chapter? I hope a little of Sakura's mind helps with the flow of the story. I'm trying to get to the heat, but I can't see any other way to accomplish that other than 'slow burn' - the pace is increasing though!

Thanks for reading! And here's my important notice:

I'm going on a Holiday this week (May 2nd to 22nd) to visit my family for the first time in five years since I moved abroad. I know, it's a long time and I'm really excited to see all of them.

I won't have access to a computer regularly, so my updates will slow down during this period. I'm trying to write as much as possible before this period, and if I can, I'll try to squeeze in another chapter before I go.

I hope you guys understand that. And please know that I'm not giving up or abandoning this story - it's my baby! And even if it takes me months or years, I'll finish it.

_Thank you for following me on this journey! _

**xoxo**


	6. Watering The Seeds

Uchiha Sasuke was not one to be lost in thought, much less someone that would indulge in illusory beliefs or contemplation – at least not when it involved unpractical or superfluous things.

Yet, every time he rested his head on a pillow, _pink_ would invade his mind – _without his permission_. He blamed the excessive amount of time he was spending around _her_. It was a simple involuntary reaction in the aftermath of every encounter – that was it, he kept repeating with more than a little uncertainty.

Although now that he stopped to analyze his aggravating state, he noticed that more often than not, it would happen at random times. It didn't matter if he was seconds away from sleep or doing the laundry.

_Tch_.

He knew that he was used to bottling up his emotions. It was the same when he was younger, and it seemed that the past was repeating itself. Even though he was finally free of all the hatred he'd nursed for the past decade, he noticed that he was still repressing his feelings – whether they were good or bad.

And recently, they were a mix of startlingly good… and discomfort at not knowing what this meant.

The last Uchiha mused on his progress, deciding to recall the events of the past few days. The last afternoon had drained him. Any activity including more than one person was simply exhausting.

He was not used to small talk or even regular interactions with people throughout his days. So, when he started spending more time around Sakura and the kids at the clinic, he would get back to his apartment completely drained.

Most of this was mental exhaustion, and some days he found that he could barely stay awake after taking a shower and having a quick dinner.

One thing he _was _grateful for though – with respect to his newfound physical and mental exhaustion – it was how quickly he found himself falling asleep. He'd knock out in seconds, and best of all – _he found he could sleep through the night. _

Which meant no nightmares, and no more frustrating and restless nights aimlessly staring at his ceiling.

Which is why even though some of his sessions with his female teammate might have been considered ridiculous in his eyes, he embraced them anyway – waiting patiently to reap the rewards: pushing himself towards a clearer path to redemption and being able to get a good night's sleep.

Sasuke didn't actually know for certain if these two factors were connected or not – but he liked to think so. He liked to think that helping others – specifically, these children that may have suffered acutely as he did without this safe haven – eased the turbulence in his own mind.

_Or maybe it has to do with being taken care of by a beautiful and nurturing woman... _

_Gods, what was he doing? _

He noticed then that he had started to question himself – a lot.

He often wondered if he would act like this – friendly and caring – if his heart and mind were still encased in hatred.

Sometimes he felt extremally guilty; and he was certain he should, no matter what. Everything felt easy, too easy. Were his actions really worthy? Were they even doing any good? Were they making up for the past? Was he being too harsh with himself?

Sometimes he felt exasperated; being in situations where he was acting in reflex or not able to act at all. Should he even try? To be more like them?

_Naruto. _

_Sakura._

_Why was it so easy for them?_

They could easily fall into conversation with anyone; they would hug and touch and share things here and there. _They even had traditions for Kami's sake._ They acted like a family, like true friends – even towards him. So why couldn't he do the same?

Then there were these other things that were piling up. Things he noticed involuntarily – and sometimes he didn't understand why he noticed them in the first place.

Like how _she_ had a smile that was only his and how he would try everything to see it. How her pink strands would create a halo when the sun shimmered through it, drawing his eyes naturally.

How the green of her eyes reminded him of spring and endless green fields; how it reminded him of hope, and the seafoam of the ocean.

How her hands seemed to be so small – yet so destructive. And how those same hands that awoke destruction, could also heal in a heartbeat.

Sighing tiredly, he brushed a lone hand through his hair and moved it back to cover his face, groaning out loud when his train of thought dared to take a wrong turn. Before he had a chance to do anything though, sleep called his name and he effortlessly answered with a low hum.

* * *

When the raven-haired nin woke up that morning, he had looked out the window expecting another pleasant day. Yesterday had been beautiful; the sky was like a dome of plasma-blue, and the air wasn't as frigid, heralding the tail end of winter.

It began with the whispering of the wind. He had listened from the comfort of his bed, within the warmth of his blankets. Not so long after, the splattering sound of a light rain hit the roof, and the gradual crescendo only increased, never ceasing.

The predictable beat settled into a pattern in his head, clicking and echoing behind heavy lids. The sound lured him into that place, that corner of his mind where he tucked the unknown and unchartered away. A place that was becoming more pink than dark, a place that was becoming purely _hers_.

* * *

_Sakura walked into her office, the clicking of her high heels echoing behind her. The now familiar noise put him at ease, and he relaxed into his seat. He was already there, waiting for her, a styrofoam cup from her favorite tea house in hand._

"_Ah Sasuke-kun, thank you so much! I needed that."_

_When her scheduled pushed their sessions to the end of the day, instead of the regular 'after lunch' time – he would bring her tea or coffee and they would decide what to work on next._

_He noticed it helped. Somehow, the hot beverage never failed to give Sakura a little extra boost, and her mood would improve exponentially – due to the liquid or the gesture, he never asked._

_He was not facing her, and when he stood up and pivoted to deliver her treat, he stilled. Her medic coat was unbuttoned, completely opened. Instead of her usual med-nin uniform, she was clad in a tight pencil skirt that ended a few inches above her knees, and a pale green – nearly see-through – blouse with a teasing neckline. The first two buttons were undone, and due to his height advantage, he could see the lace hem of her white bra concealing a creamy mound. He quickly averted his gaze, telling himself this wasn't something he was supposed to see._

_His eyes shifted up to her hair piled onto the crown of her head, a messy bun that was styled in a hurry. He noticed her eyes were highlighted with a thin black line, making the almond shape stand out. And her lips were coated in red; a startling shade that could tantalize any living soul—_

"_What?" She asked him, looking up through her long lashes. "Are you ok?" _

_Sakura almost clucked her tongue disapprovingly at the lack of response. She decided to take her tea cup from him instead, while he remained silent, following her __with his eyes._

"_You're.. different." _

_She made a puzzled face then. Arching a perfectly manicured brow, she asked for elaboration._

_He scanned her from head to toes – again – punctuating the fact and giving her his answer. Another minute of silence passed, sighing in defeat, he finally voiced it: "You're not wearing your regular clothes."_

"_Ah yes!" She beamed easily at that. "I had an important meeting today – with the Hokage and the new council. So, I dressed up, you know," She moved a hand up and down, then twirled in place. _

_Twirled._

_As if he needed a reminder of the change._

* * *

The frenzied knocking on his front door roused him from his stupor. It was still raining, pouring in fact. And for Sasuke, these usually were the days he would vow to do nothing. He couldn't really go train, and he didn't have anything else to do. It was too messy to go outside anyway.

With an up-kick he leaped from his couch. He had spent part of the morning in bed, and the other part in his living room. First staring through the window and admiring mundane things – like the lullaby the rain would create against the glass. Then juggling between books and practice shurikens – that were now gracing the hallway wall, a true shinobi decoration.

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes before opening the door.

He expected a very energetic Naruto, except in the back of his head he knew the Dobe wouldn't wait that long. The blond would break in after knocking once, or maybe twice – shouting his best friend's name and causing a ruckus in the process. It happened before – a couple of times, actually. It seemed that the past had resulted in some serious PSTD for his best friend, as the Dobe feared Sasuke would be gone again if he didn't answer the door right away.

Thus, for the sake of his door, which he didn't want to replace – again – he got up as soon as the knocking started.

He didn't expect to see a very angry Sakura on his doorstep instead.

She was soaked; the white material of her medic coat was clinging to her like second skin. Her hair seemed longer and was glued to the column of her slender neck, with several droplets of water running from the top of her head to her chin.

She shivered. And it was not from the cold – she was _livid_.

Before he could say anything, he remembered. Understanding travelled quickly to his blank face. His eyes widened a fraction; his brow shot up while his jaw slackened. _Shit_.

_What time was it?_ _He dozed off for most of the morning and—_

"Uchiha Sasuke." She snarled, pushing a finger on his chest and enunciating every syllable of his name. The force was enough to shove him backwards _and_ probably leave a bruise.

He remembered the last time the pinkette's wrath was directed at him. And he also recalled how ambiguous his reaction was. He still preferred her like this; pouring emotions through her pores, through her expression, through her fists.

"I-I.." he stopped, his face switching to a scowl.

_Why was he stuttering? _

"You stood me up." Sakura said, loud and clear, unwavering. The dark-haired nin followed her after she slammed the door shut and started to pace his living room. The crinkle of her nose was pronounced with the sneer she was carrying.

"You didn't send a note." A flailing limb would stretch toward him after every accusation. "You could have sent a summon, asked one of the ANBUs on your roof, but no—"

He had completely forgotten. _Should he tell her? Or would that make it worse?_

The unexpected change in his daily routine resulted in a lazy morning with no set purpose. He even forgot to eat lunch. And now, given that it was probably around one or two in the afternoon – he had missed his session with Sakura.

Well, not _missed_, per se – but he was definitely late. And much like himself, he learned that his female former teammate hated tardiness.

Throwing her arms up in exasperation, her angry façade gave way to indignation. "You clearly had better things to do, huh? And I wasn't worthy of your time—_scratch that_—your _future_ _freedom_ wasn't worthy—"

Sasuke held her shoulders, trying to stop her angry rant. His body heat travelled to her instantly, making her shiver upon contact.

"Take off your clothes."

The simple command sealed her lips promptly.

"WHAT?"

"You're wet."

"No, I'm—"

Sakura flushed, cheeks burning at the innuendo that came to mind– and she cursed her inner self before looking down. Inspecting her state for the first time, Sakura noticed that she was indeed dripping wet. She was so angry when she left the hospital that she didn't even realize it was raining.

She must have said that out load, because Sasuke snorted and questioned how she couldn't have noticed the rain when it was pouring down in sleets.

"You're going to get sick, Sakura."

Unconsciously, she reached for the first button and then the second, when she moved to the third, she froze. "Uh.. Can I borrow some dry clothes?"

Wordlessly, he guided her to the bathroom, keeping the door open for her. She noticed that he stepped out of a second door – presumably his room – with a towel and change of clothes in hand.

"Take a warm shower, I'll make tea."

* * *

It seemed like it took forever for Sakura to warm up. She tossed all her wet clothes by the sink, and it didn't take her a second longer to turn on the water as hot as possible and to dive under the shower.

Still shivering, she embraced herself, squeezing her arms tightly, seeking any heat with her remaining strength.

This was so stupid. _She was so stupid. _

_Kami, how did she end up in this situation?_

Only when she could feel the mist enveloping her that she allowed her eyes to open. Feeling her body tingling from the rapid temperature change, she moved her fingers and finally felt how numb they were. She allowed them to completely awake first, then she proceeded to wash her rose-gold locks, noting the mint scent favoured by him.

Him. The pinkette sighed, resting her forehead against the cool tile.

Even though _Sasuke_ was the late one here, and he was the one who owed her an explanation – she didn't want to overstep any boundaries. She was partially to blame for the situation, as she was the one who arrived unannounced and stood soaking wet in the middle of her former teammate's living room**_._**

A muffled voice drifted through the door, interrupting her thoughts. Uncertain of what was said, she replied with a hesitant "Yes?".

She heard the click of the door opening slowly.

_Did he just—_

"Sakura?"

The wall between the shower and the rest of the bathroom was protecting her, but she still felt giddy, unable to believe his boldness.

Before he could step inside or do something they might both regret, she tilted her head towards the opening of the shower wall, allowing eye contact and nothing more.

She remembered then, why she was there in the first place and her irritation was back – only escalating after the Uchiha's audacity. Narrowing her eyes, she barked: "What?"

"Sorry, uh—" Sasuke held his hands up in clear surrender, looking directly at the floor.

"Uh... it's ok, what do you need? I'm kind of busy here."

"I'm just grabbing your clothes, I'll toss them in the dryer for you while you finish—" He gestured to the shower then, averting his eyes quickly.

_Oh_.

Ok, he was just trying to help. But still, the _nerve_ of opening the door on a girl taking a shower!

Shuffling the wet pile under his arm, he turned quickly, holding the doorknob. "I'll just go."

"Yeah." She huffed, exasperated at the situation, praying for it to end as quickly as possible.

Retreating back under the shower, she patiently waited for the door to click shut. When it didn't happen, she almost called out, but then she heard his amused tone.

"And Sakura? Next time, lock the door."

The pink nin blinked, momentarily stunned by his words.

She didn't know what threw her off more: the insinuation that this wasn't the first and only time she would use his shower; or her carelessness – forgetting to lock the door. She could hear the smirk in his voice, which only led to more aggravation.

Frowning deeply, she groaned in response, pounding her fist on the shower wall – enough to crack a tile or two.

The only response she heard was a '_Tch_' followed by the closing of the bathroom door.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't used to domestic tasks. He knew how to take care of himself, but taking care of others? _Pfft._

That's why, when he took Sakura's clothes to the laundry room, in a whim to do something good – to help a friend – he just brought more problems to himself.

_Should he separate her clothes by colour? Or was it an issue only when washing? _

Owning primarily dark colored clothing his entire life, he never paid attention to mundane household guidelines for laundry. He just tossed everything inside the machine – all at once – and repeated the process to dry his clothes. Simple as that.

Already regretting his decision to dry Sakura's clothes, he moved to untangle the coat on top of the wet pile, putting it inside the dryer machine. Lifting the grey skirt, he noted that Sakura probably had a meeting earlier – since this was her _"Head Medic" _uniform.

A pale-blue blouse followed the skirt, then a white tank top. He hung up her stockings to air dry, remembering how his mother used to leave her own stockings to dry outdoors.

Looking back to the remaining items, he frowned in confusion. Two items waited on top of the machine – two petal pink items, made of a fabric he wasn't sure he had ever seen before.

Cautiously, he extended a hand and picked one piece up, lifting it to eye level.

Realization dawned quickly, warming his face and flushing his cheeks a furious shade of red.

This tiny scrap of cloth – which didn't seem like it would cover much of anything at all – was completely impractical.

_It was also hot as —_

A tantalizing image suddenly flooded his mind. Sakura with her damp rose hair wearing nothing but this matching scrap of pink, while droplets of water trailed down her ivory skin—

He cursed then; his luck, his unruly mind, everything really, even _her – she was the one doing this to him_.

Before his thoughts could degenerate any further, he threw the remaining pieces of clothing inside the dryer, grumbling incoherent words.

When he finally pressed the button to start the drying cycle, he noticed how ironic his current situation was. _She_ was taking a hot shower in _his_ bathroom, while _she_ was the reason why he needed a cold one.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey, I'm really back now :)

Thanks for patiently waiting and I hope you guys like this chapter!

I'm trying to alternate between Sasuke and Sakura's POV, so we have a mutual understanding of things.

Please let me know what you think about this update and the story so far.

_P.S: I would like to say thank you to everyone that liked this story and dropped a review, your actions and words help me a lot! _

xoxo


	7. Newfound Meadows

**A/N:** Hey guys!

I'd like to say thank you so much for all _reviews/favorites/follows_. You have no idea how they help me!

Also, thanks for your patience! I've been busy getting back to my work routine, and I was also sick for a week and a bit :/

I hope the long chapter compensates the long wait!

~ Happy Reading!

* * *

It was inexplicable; how this simple ordinary task calmed her considerably.

Haruno Sakura had long renounced the days she cared more about beauty than her goals or herself. She wouldn't ever starve in hopes of a flat stomach again – as if she needed that now.

There were still days and occasions that she allowed herself to make exceptions, claiming the importance or timely matter the reason. And there were these other rare days that she allowed herself to just enjoy a good beauty make over or a simple facial and self-care.

That's why it surprised her so much: the action of splaying the colored liquid on her nails seemed to be as therapeutic as endearing.

She had juggled between the red and green nail polish bottles. She had also peered over the blue and black ones – recent additions to her beauty goods. Not quite certain of what to do, the pink nin snatched the teal bottle from the bottom drawer of her dresser.

Passing by the couch, she dropped a couple pillows on the floor – by the coffee table – and established her shop, organizing all the necessary items and using a towel to cover her working surface. Carefully, she started the first coat, cleaning the excess after each brushstroke.

The kitchen radio was tuned on her favorite station. The melodies invaded the living room and Sakura hummed contently to the familiar beat.

Even though it was her day off, the second in a row to be exact, she had been awake for a while now – courtesy of her blonde best friend.

Ino had jumped through her window when the pinkette refused to open the door at five in the morning. Sakura was an earlier riser – only when on duty of course. If she wasn't working the next day, she would sleep in.

After the unexpected events that happened on a particularly rainy day, she had gone to her shishou requesting some time off, assuring the Godaime that a long weekend would do the medic-nin wonders.

Tsunade was not easily fooled, but any break request from her apprentice was always a surprise as she usually overworked herself. Sakura was handling most of the Hospital's responsibilities, however, Tsunade still managed employees and delegated duties. The approval was consented almost immediately, with the condition that Sakura took care of her duties, leaving them in capable hands.

And Ino was really happy to help her with that – She was also surprised when Sakura told her about the short holiday. The blonde accepted the extra clinic duties without a second thought, grinning kindly at her best friend.

Aware that she was a busy medic-nin, Sakura had expected to be interrupted at least a couple times in this period – in case there was something only she could do. That was probably the only reason why she was still in her apartment. Yet, she wasn't hiding – nothing like that – but nobody needed to know why she wasn't working or what she was doing instead either.

Sakura started her left hand, shifting on the pillow while shaking the bottle of her favorite nail polish, she got comfortable before brushing the first nail. Humming the initial notes of the new song that started, she recalled how Ino had woken her up earlier with yells and accusations.

* * *

"_What did you do?" Ino indicted, hand placed firmly on her hip and eyes narrowing. "Or should I rephrase it: What did he do?"_

_A muffled groan came from the pile of blankets and pillows somewhere in the dark room. With less patience than when she arrived, the blonde reached for the light switch, turning it on swiftly. She paced around the bed and blindly pinched a soft spot covered by the fluffy cover._

_A yelp traveled through the quiet apartment, followed by a muted string of profanities and the rustle of sheets. The Yamanaka heir was not impressed, used to the pinkette's forenoon behaviour. Tapping her nin boot against the wooden floor once, then twice, she waited for the outburst._

_Slowly, the bundle moved underneath the comfort of the covers. Rising to a sitting position, pink strands and two green slits were nearly exposed. _

"_Trying to sleep here, Pig." Sakura roared._

"_Tch, you know you don't fool me, Forehead!"_

_If Ino was still facing her, she would see how quickly the nickname sobered Sakura up and how her sleepy eyes glared at the blonde. With a sharp and sudden movement, Ino threw the curtains open and the first rays of sun entered the room at the same time Sakura reached for the switch and turned the lights off._

"_I don't know what you're talking about." Sakura retorted, as nonchalantly as she could at this ungodly hour, while shielding the sunlight with her arms._

"_You're impossible!" The blonde turned to face her then, lowering her gaze and almost frowning in disbelief. "At first, I really thought you were taking easy and having a long weekend – taking time to enjoy yourself." Her expression morphed quickly, and the displeasure of her thoughts were apparent. "Then, in less than five hours of your absence, I regretted even listening to you in the first place!"_

_At the slight raise of Ino's tone, Sakura started to worry that something really bad had happened in her absence. Her thoughts raced and the possibilities flowed in her mind, each one contributing to the guilty she was starting to feel. Something happened, something that had upset Ino, and it was all because she wasn't there – she wasn't there to fix it. _

"_Wait – What happened? Are the kids ok?"_

_The pinkette's clear concern almost calmed Ino, and she felt the need to comfort her. "Yes, you worry-hat, they are – in fact everyone is ok. So, calm your tits." But she was still pissed, and the grimace returned to her face in the next second. "The problem is that Uchiha brat." _

Huh? No Sasuke-kun?_ It was not news that Ino had long surpassed her childhood crush, but she still kept the suffix, and she often teased the dark-haired nin – although that was probably done with the intention of getting under Sakura's skin._

"_What—"_

"_I'll tell you what he did." Ino cut in, voice raising abruptly. Sakura could tell that this would take a while and she should just be quiet and listen – her experience with the blonde told her that it was not the time for questions. _

"_He was looking for you!" She pointed towards the pink nin, a manicured finger shaking accusingly. "For his session. When I told him you weren't in, and I was taking all your duties and meetings for the day, he went berserk."_

_Sakura's eyes widened. When she had decided to ditch work – essentially because she didn't want to face her teammate anytime soon – she completely forgot to take in consideration that maybe – or certainly – he wouldn't accept the change and wouldn't work with someone else. And she almost stopped to wonder why that is._

"_First, he made a scene where he refused the adjustment in his schedule – claiming some twenty-four-hour notice nonsense – seriously, who does he think he is?" The blonde dropped on the end of the bed, half of her body dangling by the edge. She brought her hands up to cover her face and still frustrated with the events that took place in Sakura's absence, she continued her rant: "We had ANBU surrounding us after all the shouting, which at least coerced him to compromise – but even then, he wasn't any easier!"_

"_He refused to do anything I asked, Sakura. He wouldn't reply my questions or go through the tasks I set. I don't know how you do it – deal with him," Her eyes were still slightly covered, and she peeked through her fingers, finding Sakura's gaze, she narrowed them again. "And then the worst thing happened: he turned Yuki-kun into his side! The kid was making my day so difficult. Can you believe that they conspired against me?!"_

_The medic-nin wasn't sure if she should be amused, laugh, or feign indignation. It was clear that the former would only provoke her friend. _

_In the time Ino had apparently paused, Sakura mused how cute their interactions were. Since Sasuke took Yuki under his wing, they were inseparable – even though it was more one-sided than the little boy wanted. _

_His preference for the former avenger became clear when he started to follow the Uchiha relentlessly through the clinic, mimicking his posture and signature monosyllabic replies._

_In a few occasions, Sakura heard when Yuki dared to call his newest friend Chief, which earned him a glare – and an inconspicuous smirk once – from the ex-missing nin._

_And to think that both dark-haired _boys_ were plotting together now. She wished then she was there to see it. _Sasuke would be an amazing daddy—

What in the world—

"_... So, I told him. Are you listening to me, Forehead? Stop smiling, this isn't funny!"_

_Her smile dropped in a heartbeat, not because of her friend's words though, as for her own realization. Shaking her head, Sakura tried to recall Ino's last words, but couldn't, still too disorientated. "What did you tell him?"_

"_That you took Friday off too!" _

"_Why did you do that?" She hissed._

"_Because, then he can come here complain to you instead." The blonde winked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Looking indifferent, she started to inspect her nails.__"I'm not having another appointment with him – or anything around that bat-shit-crazy nin for the matter."_

Oh, oh no.

"_I bet he's coming here first thing in the morning. Now, your turn, what happened?"_

"_It is morning, Pig. And, what do you mean? Nothing happened!"_

"_Then why are you avoiding him like the plague? Come on, spill."_

"_I'm not doing such a thing!"_

"_Are too!"_

_Sakura groaned and tossed a pillow in the blonde's direction. This volley of questions and accusations was a regular thing between them. _

_However, when it came to Sasuke, well, she tended to withhold information – a fact that her best friend was not aware of – saving every tiny detail to herself__**. **_

_Yeah, because, she was selfish like that when it came to her moments with the raven-haired nin._

"_Tell me! You know you want to."_

_Well, that was partially true, as for Sakura never talked boys since she was primarily on the listening end. For the first time, she had things to say, things to tell. _

_Sakura took a minute to think if maybe she could tell something to Ino – because maybe she should get a second opinion on this mess. _

"_Okay-Okay!"_

_A high pitch girlish squeal filled the room and the pinkette followed suit, joining the blonde and increasing the noise a few octaves. _

_She was glad she didn't have any direct neighbours or a landlord, and the extra cost for the townhouse finally paid off._

_Ino sat up in an instant, snatching the pillow beside her – that she had expertly avoided – and bringing it to rest on her lap. She hugged the soft material tightly and the anticipation was evident in the glint of her baby-blue eyes._

_For the most part of the next twenty minutes, Sakura explained the events that happened in Sasuke's apartment, trying to avoid anything that could be twisted by the blonde. _

_She told Ino what took her to his place and why she ended up taking a shower there instead of talking – which triggered too many interruptions and follow up questions for her liking. _

"_...So, I left the bathroom, and he was coming from the laundry room, muttering some nonsense when he saw me on the hallway and we both halted." _

_The pink nin didn't mention that she was in fact wearing his clothes at that moment – or at least she didn't specify which clothes. He had given her a shirt, one of his boxers, and sweatpants. _

_She was still not sure what happened, but when she left the shower, she noticed the clothes were on the floor, instead of securely on the top of the toilet, where she had piled up all the dry items. _

_When she picked the items up, they were somewhat soaked – due to the proximity of the shower wall and its opening – but mostly the sweatpants, which was the first item to hit the floor. _

_The only explanation that came to her mind was that she had been a really bad person in her past life, thus her luck was nearly inexistent in her current one. She got dressed, putting the shirt and boxers on, and left the bathroom holding the remaining wet piece in hands. _

"_It was a bit awkward,"__She heard her Inner-self scoff at the statement, and she decided to ignore it. "Then I suddenly remembered why I was there in the first place, and I was about to question him, when I noticed—" _

_She remembered perfectly; how she walked towards him, determined to get some answers, and how he stayed there, motionless, except for his eyes._

"_Noticed what, Forehead?"_

"_His stare—the stare." She swallowed and averted her eyes when she continued to tell the blonde fragments of what followed. "It was like I could feel the fire burning in his eyes when they followed me and locked with mine. I felt like I was going to combust into flames—" _

_Lost in her own thoughts, Sakura couldn't help but relive the scene. She still could feel how penetrating his gaze was. And she couldn't remember ever seen him like that; stunned and openly assessing, displaying an emotion that even his stoic façade couldn't deny._

_Along the years, she had seen many emotions swimming the dark-haired nin's eyes; she had seen indifference, contentment and tolerance at first; then anger and even insanity. She had seen – recently – relief, guilt, and regret too – and even something akin to happiness sometimes. _

_But it was the first time she was seeing… _this_. _

_Sakura had realized with a startling clarity, at that moment where they both stayed still and heavy rain poured outside, that a ceaseless desire was brimming those dark bottomless orbs._

_She remembered how her breath caught in her throat and she watched him through heavy lids;__She remembered how his eyes darkened and swirled with a storm of emotions; and how they pierced her in place._

_She also remembered how her lips parted without consent in response, and she found one of them captured between her teeth. She remembered how that simple action draw his intense gaze to her mouth, and how it seemed like forever until they were interrupted by the faint whistle of the kettle invading the room._

_The sound had awakened her from the trance. And when it escalated to a crescendo, all she could feel was the heat; the warmth that travelled from his dark eyes to her skin, like fire searing newfound meadow fields. _

_With the intensified shriek that echoed abruptly, it was all gone as fast as it all started._

"_And then what?!" Ino inquired impatiently._

"_Oh," Sakura stopped for a second, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "When the stare contest broke, he just said one word – 'Tea' – and we went to the kitchen." _

_He did say it, and it was the only word exchanged between them until they reached the kitchen. She didn't tell the blonde though, how they had a whole other conversation – one which she humiliated herself trying to explain how she had gotten his pants wet, thus her lack of lower coverage. _

_Sakura mentally face-palmed herself for that again._

"_When we were drinking tea, he told me my clothes were drying. I went to pick them up shortly after. I changed back into my clothes, I folded his spare ones and told him I'd wash and bring them back later." Sakura nodded to herself, satisfied with the short version of the story she told her best friend. "Then I _shunshin_ away."_

"_You did what?"_

_Ino wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what Sakura did, she was a kunoichi for Kami's sake. Her question was regarded her behaviour in general – her suspicious behaviour even at that moment. Sakura was sure of it, but she wouldn't drop her façade now and chance a turn of tables._

_Ino could read her, and if she suspected that Sakura was hiding something – and there was a lot more to be told than this rushed explanation – the blonde would probably make use of her inherited techniques and pry over Sakura's mind. _

_The pinkette shuddered at the possibility. _

_Overlooking Ino's internal battle altogether, Sakura tried to mimic the teleport movement that half of the village's shinobi used, forming the sign close to her lips and then waving her hands left and right as if the wind had taken her away – she even made a hushed noise, adding some sound effect. _

"_Huh." _

"'_Huh' what, Pig?"_

_The blonde seemed to be assessing her and everything at once. It might have taken a minute or several, but her answer relaxed the tension that had spread between Sakura's shoulder blades. With a proficient control, she held the sigh of relief that was about to escape her lips._

"_Nothing..." Ino stood up quickly when she caught the time on Sakura's alarm clock. "I gotta go or I'll be late. This conversation is _not_ over!" _

_Sakura groaned dramatically and dropped from her sit position, instantly covering herself up to her chin. She wasn't off the hook so easily, apparently. _

"_Yeah, go and let me sleep." She opened one eye and saw that the blonde was perched on her windowsill, looking back at her. "Go, go, Ino-Pig!" Sakura grumbled, and proceed to roll over under her covers. _

_Finally, she left out a sigh full of despair that reverberated around her cocoon of pillows and blankets – it was clear she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now._

* * *

By the time Sakura finished the second coat of nail polish, there was knocking on her front door. She was pretty sure she knew who was the one delivering the impatient beat.

"Come in, it's open." She called.

There was a click and then a huffed sound that accompanied the door clicking back shut. The footsteps followed, heavy and commanding, until all his glory was facing her right under her living room's threshold.

"What did I tell you?" His voice was firm and controlled, and the scowl marring his face only indicated displeasure – caused by something she couldn't possibly know.

A lot of things crossed her mind; conversations during their sessions, team dinners at Ichiraku's, chit-chat during training – which he was not an active participant most of times – and lastly occasional pleasantries exchanged with the former missing nin.

"Uh… It depends when." She casually lowered her eyes to inspect her nails. "You see, _surprisingly_, we've been talking a lot these days – well, a lot for your standards."

"_Don't_."

The command was clipped. Sasuke had closed his eyes, and Sakura was sure it was due to the twitching that was triggered by her words. If he was at this point already, Sakura feared she had indeed miscalculated her actions when she had requested the days off – if Ino's rant held any truth that is.

"What Sasuke? What did you tell me, and I clearly forgot?" She snapped; her voice was stripped from the previous tease. She was not a little girl anymore, one that would accept anything from him, including his _monosyllabic_ and rude words.

"To close the door."

_Close the door?_That big brain of hers, did that thing that it always does when she needs information – it was a quirk that happened when she least expected and unfortunately, she couldn't control. But it never failed to amaze her.

It scanned through memories; through days and social interactions, through conversations and phrases. And in an unnoticeable blink of her eyes, it was there – the scene playing behind her emerald orbs: She was in an unknown bathroom – Sasuke's – he had interrupted her shower. And the last Uchiha had the audacity of mocking her for her sloppy behaviour.

So, that's it. The anger that she had completely ignored resurged then. The disbelief towards the young man that stood in the middle of her home was obvious. _Who does he think he is? The circumstances were not the same!_

"That's not—"

"Do you want to get robbed? Or murdered?"

Her pink eyebrows furrowed, and the emotions on her face morphed into confusion. Because it doesn't matter if he was Uchiha Sasuke, he was questioning her, questioning her mental and physical faculties it seemed. _Does he even – truly – care?_

"Do you really believe someone would dare to enter my house?" She arched a pink eyebrow challenging him to continue. "Or do you think I'm so _weak,_ I can't defend myself?"

"Tch." Sasuke groaned audibly, running a hand through his pitch-black locks. "That's not what I meant."

Sakura pursued her lips into a thin line, bringing two manicured fingers to the bridge of her nose. Before she could complete the action though, she stopped. Shaking her head, she noticed she was indeed spending too much time around the dark-haired nin.

With the intention to put an end on this discussion, the pinkette stood up, moving as gracefully as a kunoichi could. He was already too tall, and she didn't need to restrain her neck any longer during this conversation.

The movement was soft and swift, and when she was finally on her feet, the long t-shirt she was wearing fell to completely cover her thighs. A roll of her neck brought the neckline down, slipping it off one side and exposing a bare shoulder.

"See?" Sasuke pointed to the visible skin, moving his arm up and down a couple times, then dropping it by his side. "What are you even wearing? Someone could enter here and—"

When she purposely locked eyes with him, it was only so he could see how this amused her. The challenge was clear, with a hand posed securely on a hip and an arched eyebrow, she continued after his silence. "I'm on my comfy pyjamas, _DAD_. It's barely eight in the morning."

The pinkette knew she was quite the picture on his eyes; she was barely dressed, her messy hair was tied in a knot on the top of her head, a few strands framing her face, and bare feet tapping expectantly.

She pursued her lips, thinking of how this was starting to feel relatively familiar. Sakura was not ready for a repeat. Pretending she couldn't feel the charged energy hovering them, she brought a hand up to her mouth and started to blow the green tips – her mouth held a tiny 'o' in the process.

"What are you doing?"

"Blowing my nails?"

She glimpsed at the shinobi standing in front of her, confused and again assessing. A churning feeling rolled inside of her. Dismissing it quickly, she turned her palm towards him, showing the shiny bright color.

"So, what are you doing here?" She asked when he took the bait and moved his attention to her hand.

"You stood me up."

_What? This is unbelievable._

"You did it first!" When she saw the frown deepening on his face, she couldn't help but throw more wood in the fire. "How does it feel now?!"

"Is this revenge?" He retorted, heat lacing his tone.

_I don't know… you would know about that _– She almost said, biting her cheeks to hold any come backs that might slip.

Sakura had forgiven and forgotten long ago, but it was in moments like this, where she was pushed towards raging emotions – which increased after his display of entitlement – that she couldn't help but remember every little dismissal and betrayal.

"_Tch_."

With a deep breath, she eased the grimace that crumpled her face. Although she never uttered a single word, it seemed that he knew exactly what was going through that pretty head of hers.

Her silence had reached him, and her efforts might have been useless, as she could see a flicker of hurt flashing his mismatched eyes before he diverted his gaze towards the kitchen and past her shoulder.

If it was anyone else, they wouldn't care. Sakura was aware that many thought the missing nin deserved every outcome of his actions, and she even agreed to a certain extent. But what many didn't know was how he had already suffered more than a single soul should – and how that had misled his actions until recently.

What nobody knew – but her – was how he had already redeemed himself so much. The progress he made after starting to work with her was clear, even if only to her eyes. And Sakura resolutely believed that his determination and hard work would reach others in no time.

So, she knew she had to assure him.

"I needed a break; _it has nothing to do with you_."

_Repeat that please! _Her inner-self shouted and the pink nin winced, her fast thinking proved to be not so _smooth_.

Though, it appeared that her admission – hard as it might seem – worked, for Sasuke found her eyes again, his posture easing as he moved his weight from one leg to the other.

"I agreed to this with a single condition." He sounded calmer, but his words were no less calculating. "Do you remember that?"

"Of course."

_You wanted me and only me, Cha! _

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Sakura averted his inquisitive gaze before the nin could read her mind. She inwardly cursed her Inner-self once again that day.

"Sakura."

It was the way he said – _no, commanded_ – her name that would always break her. Her shoulders slumped slowly, as she allowed herself to relax. "You couldn't take a substitute? For one day?" She asked, stepping closer, still curious as to why this was such a problem to him.

"I won't get near the Yamanaka girl again; she's crazy."

"Huh." The sneer he pulled after the blonde's mention reminded Sakura of her earlier conversation with her best friend, and she almost giggled comparing their alike responses. Noticing her amused expression, the dark-haired nin dismissed her with an eye-roll.

"Why." He said more than asked, and Sakura's bewilderment forced him to complete his question. "Why did you do this?"

"I told you I needed a break." She reminded him with a whisper, still a little disoriented with the whole situation she was in.

The sound of his acknowledgement grunt brought some clarity back and she didn't waste time throwing back some questions herself. "And why did you stand me up first? Don't you dare change the subject again!"

Sasuke pressed his lips into a thin line, and for a moment she thought she wouldn't get a reply at all. He shook his head and lowered it deliberately, and Sakura could no longer see his face, as his dark locks swished with the movement and covered most of it.

About to demand an answer, Sakura stepped closer but stiffened before her second step when she heard the raven-haired nin muttering an unintelligible sequence of words. Unable to make up what was said, she frowned and impatiently asked: "What? I can't hear you."

"I said," He started, increasing his baritone voice after each word. "I forgot… I overslept, ok?"

The pink nin was taken back; his response might have been aggressive to anyone hearing it, but none of that was directed to her. Once more she noticed that his timbre carried an emotion that surprised her. He was feeling guilty and genuinely blaming himself for his mistake.

_Sasuke-kun…_

The silence enveloped them, and this time, it was more relaxing than charged.

It was during the interval between the end of a song and the beginning of other, where they were truly in silence, that she caught his whisper. A "sorry" touching her ears and her heart.

She had reached a decision long before that, and she doubted she would have chosen differently anyway. So, she tilted her head and tried to catch a glimpse of his coal gaze. When she finally found it, she released a grin after obtaining his full attention.

"Okay."

"Okay?" He asked sceptically.

Noting his childish-like doubt, her grin only intensified. She beamed with abandon, assuring him in a sing song tone: "Okay."

Sakura watched as his shoulders eased and his spine straightened. His mismatched eyes that now searched her own, softened a fraction. The visible relief was contagious, and she found herself sighing contently.

"I'm not going back to that crazy woman."

Sasuke chose to break the comfortable bubble they were in, and Sakura sighed again, this time almost exasperated with the abrupt change. He was acting as a spoiled child that had been forgiven for his bad behaviour, but instead of being grateful, he was still complaining.

"I'll try to come up with something. Maybe I can give you a note – to excuse yourself for the day—" She tried to reach a compromise.

"No," he cut her off, creasing his brow slightly. "I need to complete this."

And again, his determination rendered her speechless. A gratified smile was plastered over her face and the fluttering feeling on her stomach swirled due to something else entirely.

If she was bold enough, she'd wrap her arms around him and kiss him stupid. _Cha!_

And Sakura almost – _almost_ – groaned loudly at the realization that she _wouldn't-couldn't-shouldn't_ do just that.

She was so proud of his newfound resolve towards his redemption path that, in the next instant, she felt extremely guilty for thinking anything negative of him and his absence to their session that other day.

Still, she was inspired, and her own determination was fuelling her now. No matter what, she would support him even if it was from the sidelines. She would be there or wherever he allowed her to be, as a teammate, as a friend, as—

Shaking her head, she brought her hands up and clasped them in front of her. Sakura started to think of ways to help, anything she could do to make him ease this guilt and also feel a sense of accomplishment.

"What are you doing today?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Uh... I need to run some errands," Tapping a finger to her chin, she went through her mental notes. "I also need to cook and get to dinner."

"I'll go with you."

"_Eh…_" That was… unexpected. The pink nin was ready to form a seal, the word "Kai" in the tip of her tongue – after so many dismissals in the past, this could only be a _genjutsu_.

At the sight of a bemused Sakura, he continued: "I'll escort you and hold your bags or whatever." he shrugged nonchalantly.

He widened his eyes and coughed, as if it would cover his last words. Afraid that she could mistake their meaning, he felt the need to explain himself. "Not that you need any protection." He added promptly, and then trailed off. "You could consider this as today's session, and we can come up with a lesson on the way…"

Sakura took a minute to replay what he was proposing. Although many scenarios and questions crossed her mind, she promised herself she wouldn't duel too much into it. She was sure that nothing bad would come from this, and she got to spend time with one of her precious people.

With a bright unrestrained grin – one that rivalled their best friend's – she agreed: "Okay!"

It could be the giddiness overtaking her senses, but Sakura was convinced she had seen a tiny and involuntary tug of Sasuke's lips in return.

"Let me just take a quick _shower_—"

It was incredible how the mention of a single word – a simple daily action – had brought back memories of that afternoon. In a span of a mere second, everything shifted.

His eyes darkened instantly, and her breathing hitched; it was nearly visible, the sizzling energy that started to dissipate around them.

And Sakura was certain that this was the first step to a big mistake.

"—let me get ready and we can go." She completed weakly, turning her back to him and quickly walking towards her bedroom.

She didn't dare to look back, afraid to see that now familiar emotion reflected in his eyes.

If she was smart, she would leave it alone. She should forget and pretend that nothing ever happened. But Sakura was never afraid to play with fire, even though her mother always warned her that she could get burned.

* * *

**A/N:** _5,409 words / 14 pages - Phew!_

Let me know what you think :)

xoxo


	8. First Signs of Spring

**A/N:** Hello! Thank you everyone for your nice words, reviews, and favorites/follows!

I'd like to thank the guests' reviews as well, as I can't personally message you back. Please know that I still take in consideration every word. :)

_Here's another long chapter! ~ Happy reading!_

* * *

The first rays of sun touched the ground, lifting the morning dew in a thin layer of mist over the village. Although a new season had started, the lower temperatures of winter still lingered during the mornings in Konoha.

The sound of crunching ground filled the air, moving along with its creator towards the deserted street at the outskirts of the village. It was the same street that circled the lake, crossed the Academy, and snaked towards the village's main street, leading to the Hospital and Hokage Tower.

Haruno Sakura was feeling extremely content. She was well rested, she had had time to take care of herself, and she had made peace with her heart and its_ owner_.

While she walked, her smile was bright and reached her eyes. That morning, Sakura had decided to take the long way to work, because more than ever, she was appreciating the little things.

And one thing that Sakura loved was observing the first rays of sunlight touching the grassland and trees around the village.

The way that the amber veil enmeshed through the leaves and branches, knitting a fascinating blanket of light and shadows on the ground took her breath away every time.

As she walked the length of the road just past sunrise – after four full days of rest – it was clear in her features that the break had done her some good.

The ease in her shoulders and her peaceful steps were only visible changes, while others were not so visible – and she was keeping them locked under seven keys. That included the time she spent with _him_.

If the pink nin was honest with herself – she was skeptical at first, as any nice gesture coming from the last Uchiha was a gift received once in a blue moon (at least, anything nice towards her). Blame her twelve-year-old insecurities, which tended to resurge in his presence.

In the end, Sakura had truly enjoyed his company and their time together. He had followed her around the village, and although she had only 3 items on her list (not that he knew that little piece of information), she was able to drag the day out as long as she could, visiting every little shop and stand on their way. Of course, she made sure she was not stretching her luck too far – or his patience.

And he might not have said so, but she was certain that Sasuke had enjoyed their time together as well.

After two long days of denial, half-hearted reflections, and a couple of wake-up calls (one literally delivered by her best friend), Sakura made a decision: No matter what _this_ was, she wouldn't run away anymore.

She wasn't really sure what was happening between herself and Sasuke, but she was tired of being deluded, tired of evading and pretending.

Her heart be damned. It was still in pieces, and maybe he was the only one that could stick it back together. If this was not meant to be, he'd be the one doing the running this time.

With this new resolve, she trailed contently towards the Hospital, and she couldn't help but keep that pleasant and kind smile on her face, a giddiness growing in the pit of her stomach as she thought about everything and nothing all at once.

* * *

She can't say she didn't enjoy her time away, but Sakura dared to say she missed work more than usual this time. She missed the buzz of people coming and going, she missed talking to people and guiding the nurses around… she missed _her_ kids.

Her kids. It was delusional and something she didn't say out loud, but she considered them _hers_. For the past five months, she was involved in their lives and she didn't know what she would do if she had to stop that.

Sakura was sure that part of this – in essence – was simply her maternal instincts, which were probably awoken by her hormones and all that jazz.

The medic nin stopped dead in her tracks.

On a whim, she contemplated if one day she would be a mother.

It was a thought that she usually avoided, as fantasies were not something she kept on her days any longer. If she was truthful, she had always known she wouldn't have children if it wasn't with _the love of her life_.Because if they couldn't be together, she'd undoubtedly die alone.

_Pathetic _– she could hear her Inner echoing the word inside her head.

That was another thing she had to work on, because there was only so much rejection and pain a heart could take until it gave out and gave up.

However, if that happened – if she became a mother one day – she wondered if it would be as good as the experiences she had at the Clinic.

Maybe she would never be one. A mom, a mother… a mama.

Even if that pained her, she came to terms with that reality long ago. And in a way, she was comforted by the fact that she had these amazing children to take care of every day**. **As long as they were cute little pies like that or as long as they needed her, she would be there.

With a dreamy gleam in her eyes, she resumed her walk, stepping inside of the Children's Clinic, a place she was spending more time than the Hospital these days.

Sakura greeted the receptionists and nurses on the way to her office, her apparent cheerfulness brought a pleasant smile to her co-workers.

A nurse presented the weekend report to the medic nin, as it was customary to review it on Mondays. Like every week day, she walked straight to her office, which was located in the back of the first floor, close to the garden entrance.

Skimming through the pages, Sakura turned to the right and continued through the long hallway. Her attention was solemnly on Saturday's complaints when she felt bells swinging at the back of her head – her ninja instincts telling her to move.

It happened quicker than she could process – to her own surprise.

She heard the sway of a string moving above her and the elastic sound of rubber stretching. When she looked up, poised in a stiffened and alert pose, a 'pop' sound rang in her ears as three balloons burst open above her.

The splash of water falling from the ceiling hit her hair and clothes, dampening them instantly. A high pitched screech broke free from the back of her throat to the open air.

A faint and distant snicker snapped her attention towards the window.

As she marched towards the sound, each step – firm and heated – poured crinkles on the linoleum floor. If she hadn't spotted him before reaching the ledge of the windowsill, the cracks would have probably spread to the walls.

There he was.

Hiding perfectly at the corner of two walls, dark hair slouched forward, with a _stolen_ and tiny smirk adorning his lips.

_Yuki_.

But it was not the little boy's name that she hollered in the confines of the calm and silent clinic.

"UCHIHA SASUKE!"

* * *

It was like an exercise – of patient and endurance.

When he thought of his current predicament as training, it made it easier.

He could feel the intense gaze upon his back and he almost risked turning around to glare back, but he was better than that – or at least he learned from the last time he tried it.

He decided to look up instead. His eyes followed the creased path where the wallpapers met, at the corner of the two walls. The pattern was simple and now predictable after staring at it for so long.

Sighing, he nearly rested his forehead on the nook of the wall, but to be honest, he was dreading the possible outcome if he did just that.

Thus, he stared.

He stared at crinkles that covered the length of the walls, he stared at the annoying pattern of that ugly wallpaper, he stared at the countless wrinkles at its junctures.

The scowl on his face only deepened after every minute, he could feel his lips folding into a pout. Reluctantly, he swallowed it and pressed his lips into a firm thin line.

It was beyond boring at this point, and due to his sight advantage, he had memorized everything that was in front of him. It wasn't like he had a lot of space to analyze either, differently from his partner in crime.

The height difference was not as startling when they were both sitting. He looked beside him to confirm, and he found a pouting boy with his tiny arms crossed in front of him, as stubborn as the posture implied. The boy had a lot more to cover as he reached half of his current stature.

It wasn't his fault; really, he wasn't even there. It seemed that the boy by his side had pursued revenge on Sasuke's behalf, taking matters into his own little hands.

It didn't sit well with Yuki that Sakura had missed Sasuke's session the other day – without a word of explanation – leaving the dark-haired nin waiting. That had also caused a lot of confusion and shouting, which Yuki described as distressing for both Sasuke _and_ himself.

Consequently, the boy had the great idea of pranking _their_ sensei, teaching Sakura that _'you couldn't just go and disrespect Uchiha Sasuke'_.

The clucking of a tongue resonated within the four walls, and the familiar sound made his head snap to that damn corner immediately – as it was instinct at that point.

He rolled his shoulders and straightened his back. He could hear his bones popping and it brought him a satisfying but momentary relief.

His behind though, it was _flat_ after all this sitting. And for the first time in his life, he was glad for the padding advantage that he had inherited, as it was not aching (_yet)_ as he'd expected.

The tick tock of the clock and the rustle of a pen moving back and forth, ruthless against the paper sheet, were the only sounds he could track. The occasional sighs released by the three people in the room were not frequent enough for a pattern.

He lost track of time when his mind decided to throw a curve ball his way, making him remember his day with the pink nin behind him.

He could say with confidence that they were finally friends – that what they had before was finally restored – and their bond was as strong as ever.

He couldn't compare that bond with the one he had with Naruto though. Not because he preferred the blond over her or anything like that. He couldn't compare them because it was just _different_ – and Sasuke himself couldn't define it just yet.

It wasn't a sibling friendship – _Oh Kami, no_. He cared deeply for her and he was definitely protective of her, but he could never consider Sakura _his_ little sister (or big sister, since she was older). _Tch_.

Sasuke knew that their connection was now easy and comfortable – pleasant, even. And he could admit that he had repressed many things that involved said connection. He could also admit that he was tired; tired of avoiding and tucking everything he felt away.

Maybe he should just let it go and stop wasting time; the time that he spent avoiding and then concealing every scrape of emotion deeply within his shadows.

Maybe he should take it easy and just learn from it; learn what these moments meant, learn what that hell he was feeling.

Tuning out the now annoying tick of the clock, the last Uchiha's mind drifted to that day – the day he asked if he could be included in Sakura's schedule.

He was not certain of why that came to his mind and why he blurted it out so quickly – but he noticed he felt an urge to go back to _their_ routine – and if that was also going to save him from that crazy Yamanaka girl, good for him. _Kill two birds with one stone. _

He remembered how they strolled through the busy streets of Konoha, and Sakura had stopped to browse every shop and stand on the way, especially the ones with colorful fruits and vegetables.

At one point, when they hovered over a pile of ripe and perfectly round tomatoes, Sakura grabbed a crate and placed it in her bag, saying that she would cook him something for lunch. He pretended that the warm tug on his stomach wasn't caused by her consideration, but the prospect of a homemade meal containing his favourite food.

He held her groceries bags eagerly after that, and she thanked him with a bright and earnest smile that stayed with him the whole day.

The next items on her list were a new training tunic and a dress. The task itself was _simple_: wait while she tried the items on, then provide his sincere opinion on her new attire.

However, the turmoil caused every time she opened that damn _thin_ curtain – presenting a different side of the blossom every time – was far from _simple_.

She had tried regular tunics first, similar to her current training uniform. However, by the third item, she had flung the curtain open abruptly, twirling in place, clad in a dress.

_A too short and too tight dress._

After that, it was one after the other and he lost count of how many dresses he had seen, as he was too preoccupied with something else entirely.

It didn't help one bit that the thin orange curtain allowed him to see her silhouette and the shadow was sin itself; the dance of her curves while she removed her clothes tempted him and allured his mismatched eyes to follow each movement, burning every detail to his memory.

He vaguely remembered that he helped her choose a midnight blue one, which she said she might wear to their team celebration in the upcoming weeks.

On the way back, he had to watch her childish conduct, as Sakura squealed over _dango_. He bought her one, since it seemed the saccharine thing was like magic to her eyes – _or was it because he secretly wanted to watch what reaction she would give him?_

Then, she dared to eat the thing right in front of him! And that was, without a doubt, the hardest part of his day.

While he could conceal easily his emotions earlier, suppressing what she did to him in that _damned_ clothes shop, the mental image that she was providing him now… was torture.

_Pure agonizing torture._

Not because the sweet treat itself repulsed him, no. But because watching Sakura as she licked and lapped on the sugary treat, releasing delightful moans after every bite… was the end of him.

That day, Sasuke was nearly convinced he was going to die of an overload of mental images of Haruno Sakura, dressed in a tight dress, using her tongue skills for something else than the consummation of a sugary dessert.

Feeling as he was drifting to a place he shouldn't – a dangerous place that he couldn't visit, not right now at least – he shook his head, clearing his undisciplined mind.

Chancing an extra fifteen minutes of wall-staring, he half turned his head towards the desk behind him and decided to ask her anyway. "Can I leave now?"

A tired sigh escaped her lips. His shinobi hearing noted that she had dropped her pen, and was probably crossing her legs, and pushing the chair a bit far from her desk. The medic nin was possibly looking at the time now and contemplating if she should let him go already.

"Have you reflected on your actions, Sasuke?"

"Hn." He grunted and she sighed again.

"Yuki, you can go. Find Ino-sensei and tell her I sent you."

The boy didn't need to be told twice, he sprang from the floor, swiped his hands up and down his pants, and dashed outside, making sure to present a tiny bow of gratitude towards his sensei before that.

"And you, _close_ _the door_. We need to talk."

He could barely mask the smirk after hearing her words. The tug in the corner of her lips told him that she was thinking of the same thing too. Was that what friends did? Internal jokes and mutual understanding without even opening your mouth?

"You might not know, but kids his age," she started, nodding to the corner where Yuki was sitting just a minute ago "they are like sponges. They just absorb everything they see and hear."

He moved closer after pushing the door closed, nodding in confirmation while burying his hand deep in his pocket.

"And you might not be completely aware of this or its extension, but Yuki looks up to you."

"Aa."

Sakura had paused abruptly, looking up at him and furrowing her brows. Whatever she saw, it wasn't pleasant for this conversation, as she pursed her lips and sent him a vicious glare. He could only imagine that he looked somehow smug after her last sentence.

"Please just try to help him. Emphasize that what he did was wrong." Sakura pleaded, the soft tone of her voice and that look on her face just confirming that she truly cared about this kid, the prank itself completely forgotten.

He didn't say anything, but he made sure she knew he considered every word, sending her a determined look of understanding. And trying to push them back to that easy place they were, he talked first this time: "I had forgotten how boring it was."

"What?"

Sasuke pointed to his time-out corner with a movement of his head, and noticing her still arched eyebrow, he exhaled soundly, preparing himself for conversation. "I was often instructed to reflect on my actions in a corner of the manor."

"What—you? Really?" Sakura crossed her arms, and leaned over her desk, ready for the story. She flashed him a mischievous smirk as if his misbehaviour as a kid was the juiciest gossip someone was telling her. "You, Uchiha Sasuke, used to be put in time-out… multiple times?"

Now she was just teasing him, pushing his buttons to see what else she could learn of this side of him, this side that talked freely about the past. So, he continued, because he trusted her; he trusted she would still be Sakura, no matter what he said.

"Yeah, mostly because I wanted to follow Itachi around, and when I didn't understand I couldn't go, I was rude with mother or I wouldn't eat…" he trailed off, shrugging lightly.

"Oh, wow." Sakura looked him up and down, pretending to assess the person in front of her. "I never took you for someone that needed _discipline_, Sasuke-kun."

He glared light heartedly, pursing his lips before he could say something stupid to this _annoying woman_.

"You're so damn tall!" She exclaimed while rolling her shoulders and pressing a hand to the side of her neck. "Could you—can you sit down please?"

He did as he was told, a half chuckle escaping his lips at her discomfort. It was ironic that she thought he was so tall, while he couldn't place when she had become so short.

"You know, I met your brother a few times," that got his attention, and he met her eyes, showing her his interest. "But we never really had time to talk, you know — and at the time, I kind of hated him because of what he did to you..."

She captured her bottom lip after saying that, the pressure imposed turned the plump flesh red, and even though it was distracting for him, he could also note that she was being careful to not put him under any discomfort while talking about his family.

"Hn. Understandable." He nodded a couple times, his gaze captured between her teeth and bottom lip too.

"But the times we talked; it was pleasant."

Sasuke thought this was the end of her tale, the tale of her encounters with the other Uchiha, but then she continued, a shy smile springing up before she said these next words.

"He even saved me once..."

At that, Sasuke stiffened in the chair, his sole hand clutched the armrest, and his knuckles were turning white from the tight pressure. Not because they were talking about his older brother –although it still kind of hurt to talk about him, Sasuke knew he had to. If not for her, then for himself; he had to take these constricted emotions out of his chest.

Noting that his nails were digging into the wood material of the chair, he stopped the instinctive action, taking a second to analyze what caused it.

He believed that the mention of his brother was not the reason of this spontaneous reaction, not this time, as he had already talked about Itachi several times with Naruto.

Maybe it was because there was this glint of admiration in her eyes when she mentioned it; that _he_ saved her. Maybe because this was another part – another detail – of Sakura's life he had no knowledge of.

_Or maybe he was jealous… because he wasn't the one that saved her._

The last Uchiha grunted in confirmation or disapproval, he didn't know.

"Did he?" He asked through clenched teeth; still sounding more Sasuke than not, and she didn't notice his distress.

"Yeah. Before the war, Naruto and I were kind of locked in _Tobi's – or Madara's? – Limited Tsukuyomi* _for a few days. I'm almost sure Naruto told you about it that other day we were at his place."

"Aa. I remember."

"I was kidnapped in the middle of the battle we had in the village, and Tobi chained me, I was the bait. Naruto couldn't save me – he had to fight the enemy. And just our luck, the Akatsuki showed up—"

After the mention of the infamous organization, Sasuke grunted a questioning sound, to which she replied by holding her finger up, making him wait until she could finish her story.

"In the end, it seemed that Tsunade-sama had sent the Akatsuki to help us. Itachi freed me and I was about to bolt and assist Naruto in the fight, but he held me back saying they weren't paid for that."

"Hn. Where did you go after?"

"Uh… Itachi picked me up and carried me away from the battle. Even though I was really mad, and I confess I thrashed in his hold at the beginning, he was a true gentleman throughout the whole trip back to Konoha."

The dark-haired nin knew most of that story already, thanks to the _Usuratonkachi_. But hearing Sakura tell her version, describing how his nii-san saved her, carried her in his arms, like a true hero…

Seeing how her eyes were vivid and telling him a full story by themselves; how her cheeks were tinged as pink as her hair; and how she had that small shy smile – still dainty and beautiful – the whole time…

It just made him clutch that armrest even tighter.

Sasuke couldn't possibly understand how one person – one single man – was able to make him envious and jealous his whole life – including now, when said man was dead.

He wasn't even sure what he was feeling to be honest. If he had to compare, it was almost the same feeling he felt when his brother accomplished something that was out of his reach. Something that Sasuke couldn't do, couldn't have.

Unconsciously, he frowned, lips rolling into a pout.

It was unfair. He was the one that could make her blush and smile prettily like that. He was the one that was there to protect her since day one—

_Yeah, but you left her too… You weren't around to protect her…_

_Shut up! _

The voice inside of his head was trying to pick up a fight by steering this newly formed storm inside of him.

He wouldn't admit it, not out loud, and maybe not even to himself, but Sasuke was having a hard time trying to understand how a dead man could work him up to the point he was a mess of irrational protectiveness and selfish acts. _Ugh_.

_Maybe it was because you wanted to be the one holding her in your arms…_

"You okay?"

He only nodded, not trusting his own voice and composure.

"You know, one day I'd like to know more about Itachi." Sakura said with enthusiasm and curiosity lacing her tone.

And Sasuke closed his eyes; as he refused to see yet another of _his _emotions covering her face because of _other _man.

Other, yes. Because when he thought about it, in these few minutes between her tale and his internal turmoil, he came to a simple conclusion: when it came to the pink nin sitting across him, it was not only Itachi that could stir this possessive and _annoying_ feeling inside of him – any other person could.

"I'm sure he would make a nice big brother for me too." She completed, looking at him expectantly.

_Right. Conversation, Sasuke. _

"Big brother?" he met her eyes and asked, still a little perplexed.

"Yeah, like Naruto."

_Naruto?_

In his entire life, Sasuke had never thought that a comparison with the knucklehead would bring him such relief, as it seemed that Itachi would have been Sakura's big brother, like the _idiot_ was to her now.

A discharging feeling washed over him; his hand that was about to turn the armrest into splints, loosened up its hold and his shoulders eased back on the chair. He smirked, fully back in his game – _wait what game?_

"Naruto is younger than you, Sakura."

"Details, Sasuke."

"I could tell you more about when I was little..." He offered, because while she said _Itachi_, the only way he would include his nii-san in their talk from now on, was if he was telling her something about himself _and_ his brother happened to be part of it.

"Really?" She grinned, the happiness reaching her eyes and making him forget how to breathe. "That would be nice Sasuke-kun! Whenever you want, we could—"

It mesmerized him; how little he did and how much she gave back.

It was so easy to make her happy, to make her give him all these reactions, specially _his_ smile. Because he knew there was that one – the one she gave him since they were little – that was his and only his.

"We could go get lunch and I'll tell you some stories."

He almost forgot to answer her, or was he only ignoring that altogether? She was so _disarming_.

He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to do this; he could see the walls around him crackling and about to crumble with the strength of this woman. He was afraid that they could fall on him, he was afraid that he could fall-

"Ok! So, it's a _dat_—deal!"

Her bell like voice got his attention again. And Sasuke was surprised when she averted her eyes, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, until he replayed her words in his head.

She had asked him countless times before, and although it seemed she was past that phase, in order to save whatever little of her heart she had left, Sasuke found himself wanting her to complete that sentence.

_Would he be opposed? Was it because it was nostalgic? Or was it because he needed confirmation that she still wanted him?_

In a way, it was good that she prevented the subject, as it was already too challenging for the raven-haired nin to distinct rational thinking from desire these days.

In a world that once was dark, pink was a too bright of color.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

***Limited Tsukuyomi **\- References/scenes from Naruto – Road to Ninja movie.

Let me know your thoughts :)

xoxo


	9. Whispers of Reminiscence

**A/N:** I'm alive! Sorry everyone for the long wait, I tried to finish and publish this chapter as soon as I could, but a few unexpected things delayed me a little bit.

Hopefully this chapter makes up for it, it's a bit different than the other ones ;) - _Thank you for all the reviews, kind words, and favorites! _

_~ Happy reading!_

* * *

"I take it you are smart enough to put two and two together."

They were in silence for the past five minutes – or five hours, it was hard to tell. They stared at each other, speaking more with their eyes than with words.

Both shinobi in the room grew up watching life unraveling through two sets of eyes. One ordinary, and the other cursed – or a praised and powerful _kekkei genkai_, depending of the point of view.

Sasuke barely nodded accepting the words, and Kakashi thought that even the stoic Uchiha couldn't escape the shock of the news. He could see the turmoil inside the raven-haired nin. His face remained watery; the tone lighter than his usual. His hand was clenched by his side, trembling almost imperceptibly. His eyes were distant, assessing a new world.

No matter how much he tried to deny, Sasuke had always been his protégé. Kakashi could see himself in him, like he was watching the past through a blurry mirror. The loneliness, the hate, the love, and the guilt. And maybe that was why Kakashi would always let him down easily.

But this time, Sasuke had wronged his family too. They might not share blood and they might not live under the same roof, but Sakura and Akira were the daughter and grandson he'd always wished for – and now that he had them, the Rokudaime would protect them as if they were his pure blood.

"A late 'congratulations' is in order then, I suppose." Kakashi said as he sat back on his chair, crossing his arms in front of him.

When he didn't receive any remarks or glares, he narrowed his eyes and pondered if maybe this time it was different for his former student too.

As Kakashi considered the young man in front of him – paralyzed in a shook state, probably wondering when exactly he had screwed things up – the copy nin wondered if he had allowed himself to love and have a family, if _this_ would be his outcome too. And if maybe he was indeed better off this way; lonely but never alone, surround by a makeshift family to make up for the one he'd never get for himself.

In the end, the empathy verged towards pity and his only thought was that if there was still a chance, he would make sure to open the Uchiha's eyes – _both of them_ – and forget subtleness, that wouldn't do.

He would make sure his student knew that this time, it was different; this time there was no room for more missteps. And with a reinvigorated sigh, he conveyed that message in one simple phrase, with a fatherly but firm tone so unlike himself: "But don't think you're off the hook."

* * *

"_...don't think you're off the hook." _

_Sakura was late. _

_That wasn't really news, considering her busy schedule. And he happened to be slipping away through the bar's rooftop when she got there with the opposite intention._

_He had spent the last hour trying to hide from curious yes and inquisitive patrons that were there to celebrate the end of the war and their heroes – Team Seven – and apparently, that night he was the center of most attention, which didn't set well with him. _

_He never asked for a damn party – well it was technically _their_ party – but while Naruto was the light, he was still the darkness, and he wouldn't sit there and willingly accept all the silent judgement and stares from people that didn't know half of the truth._

_And Sakura should know how he felt better than anyone, he thought. Unreasonably, the dark-haired nin was starting to question her loyalty at this point, which was unjustifiable as the medic nin hadn't even planned the festivity._

_It was then, when he stopped complaining internally, that he finally registered her presence. He had missed her question but caught half of a phrase that didn't help him a bit. He looked up to ask what she had said—_

_Sakura was a constant these days. _

_White hospital coats, red yukatas and black shorts, occasional pyjamas – but he had never seen her dressed like this. _

_Well, if he didn't count that day where she tried countless dresses in front of him – and he fought the urge to not do something stupid – then yeah, he had seen her kind of like this before. But still, it wasn't like _this_._

_Tonight, she was wearing a dress. Not a red dress, nor a casual or long dress. It was a midnight-blue dress. _

The dress.

_The one he had helped her pick not so long ago. _

_The outfit hugged her like second skin, ending just a few inches above her knees, and leaving little to the imagination of predator eyes. The sweetheart neckline was more teasing than inviting, and her exposed collarbone and bare shoulders were accentuated by a thin silver chain around her neck._

_The necklace called him with a shimmer that reflected the nightfall – that reflected her. He averted his eyes, finding the floor suddenly interesting, before they could betray him and slip through mounds and dips and exposed skin._

_The black stripes that were wrapped around her ankles and calves reminded him of her seal; how it had tattooed her ivory skin, snaking its way from head to toes at one time; how it contrasted and lured his eyes now once again. A sign of pure strength, ultimate control, and nonetheless beauty. _

_He dragged his eyes up slower than he intended, committing every detail to the memory, and setting his gaze over the rhombus in the middle of her forehead. _

_The lavender sign glowed a shade of grey against the shadows of that night__,__ and he wondered if she knew how it __complimented__ her, how it __made__ her even more exquisite and unique._

_Sakura wasn't pretty, she was—_

_Her rose tresses were not up, nor twisted in a messy knot as usual, he noted. Her locks were set in waves, cascading down and around her shoulders. _

_She lifted a hand and placed a loose strand behind her ear, and tossed a few waves onto the opposite shoulder, baring one side of her slender neck as if she was inviting him to touch it, to taste it. _

_The thought made his breathing hitch and his mouth dry. He clutched the material inside of his pockets, as if only that would hold him in place._

_The sheen of the night and the pale moonlight bathed her, creating an otherworldly vision that entranced him; the pink radiated around her, casting a light shade over her features. It shadowed her button nose and pink plump lips, and he found himself wondering – one more time – if they were as soft as they seemed._

_Her eyes though, they were a separated story. _

_They caught the light of a distant light pole, and the golden stream made them shine a shade of emerald green he hadn't seen before._

_Her eyes would always be his undoing._

_It was enthralling; for a second there was only the two of them, nothing else mattered, and those bewitching eyes lured him, called his name, and drown him into dangerous green-blue waters, filled with undisclosed yearning and want. _

_And in that moment, when her lips quirked up and her smile touched her eyes, Sasuke thought he wanted nothing more than to sink as deep as possible._

She was beyond beautiful… in all possible ways.

_Sasuke couldn't remember when this started anymore – the little things he noticed about her and only her. _

_He never paid attention to women before, not like this at least, and he wondered if he was having a late puberty sprint – where everything was highlighted by his hormones – or if she was just special, a once in a lifetime kind of thing. An exception. _

_He shook his head, tucking in his thoughts about this woman, this Sakura that was still so foreign as the thoughts themselves. He pushed it all away – tossed to a corner to revise later, knowing that he wouldn't actually do that._

_This was another constant in his life: to push everything that was laced in _pink_ under a rug. And even though he had accepted that he should stop doing that, he still had a hard time to really let go and just feel, live._

_When he turned his attention to her, his gaze was dragged down when he noticed that she was holding his elbow – the warmth radiating and searing his skin. He was caught before he could flicker away of that obnoxious place. _

_The pressure of her thin fingers singed him, grounding him, and bringing him back to reality. He locked his eyes with emerald ones again and the twinkle of mischief he found there brought a smirk to his lips almost instantly._

"_Come on, Sasuke! One drink, one team picture, and then I'll let you be."_

_She squeezed his forearm twice, as if the act would urge him to acknowledge her words and give her a reply. Furrowing her eyebrows softly, Sakura pleaded through long lashes, with a saccharine voice he didn't know she had: "Please?"_

_It wasn't because of that; no, he just couldn't deny her this time – and that was all. _

_He pocketed his _hands_, feigning indifference, but agreeing nonetheless, "Hn."_

* * *

The knock on the window brought him back to the present.

For a moment, Sasuke wanted to understand why such a memory would pop up in his mind, especially now when much important matters were in stake. But he couldn't think about anything or anyone even if he tried, as his energy had vanished in the moment that he met that little boy.

He was numb; anesthetized and disoriented.

Apparently, he had lost his axis, as he couldn't distinct directions any longer. While he could still sense what was happening around him, he felt as if he wasn't actually there; sitting on a chair in the Hokage's office, in Konoha. And he nearly considered bringing his fingers together to check if this was really not a _genjutsu (if he hadn't tried that already an hour ago)_.

His eardrums pounded and thundered, the blood travelling as fast as his heart could pump, leaving a tingling sensation as it rushed through him. And Sasuke thought that if he hadn't such fine control of his own body – a reflex that was honed for years – or if his own emotions hadn't rendered him so astounded, he'd be hyperventilating.

In the end, he could say he was a watcher; prisoner in a body that could not – would not – function. It wouldn't respond to his will, but it would still fulfill all the basic human functions.

As a mere observer, he watched as an ANBU behind the Hokage delivered a scroll. He saw when the said ANBU was quickly dismissed with a curt nod. And then he noticed it: the _kanji_ sealing the scroll – it was as familiar as breathing.

Sasuke looked up expectantly, a spasmodic movement that was not expected, and a question shined in his eyes. If he could see the Hokage's covered face, Sasuke would swear he was pursing his lips in discomfort.

Kakashi opened the scroll and scanned its content, clucking his tongue, he closed and stored it in the left drawer.

"It seems that we have more time than I presumed. She's in an important surgery." He told Sasuke with a disregarded baritone, like it was not important that she wasn't coming right away. "Naruto couldn't interrupt it, so he sent this from the Hospital." He pointed to the closed drawer, feeling compelled to explain, if only it would help ease the uneasiness in the room.

"Why didn't he bring the message himself?" The dark-haired nin found himself asking naturally, before he could even form the question in his head, as if the numbness had loosened his tongue too.

It could also be the fear; the fear that they didn't want to face him, that Sakura and Naruto didn't want to see him anymore.

_But he didn't know— _

"Well, Naruto is a busy shinobi, the war hero and all." Kakashi chuckled and rolled his eyes, trying again to lighten up the conversation. When he only got another blank stare, the Hokage did a one-eighty, continuing in a serious tone: "And he takes care of Akira on Thursdays."

_Akira._

He had a son and—

"She kept it from me."

"_Him_, Sasuke, not _it_."

"The _fact_." He growled, frustrated with the implication his former sensei made. "Wh—"

"I know you have a lot of questions, but it's really not my story to tell. It's _hers_." Kakashi cut in with an unwavering tone, leaving no room for debate.

And Sasuke didn't know if it was his sensei's tone or the words themselves that cracked something inside him. Again, he was about to meet Haruno Sakura, a girl he left behind more than once – and a woman he didn't really know. _A mother._

"She—she," _kept him from me. _

It was useless, he couldn't think, and he couldn't say anything. The frustration of not being in control, overflowed him. _How was that possible? thinking of everything and nothing at the same time…_

A cold drop of sweat licked his spine, freezing his thoughts as the dark-haired nin fought himself to find words.

"Nothing is what it seems." Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes and gazing right through Sasuke, as if he was affirming that more to himself alone than to his student.

The Uchiha did the same; he looked over the man's shoulder and right through the office's window. He looked through the blue of the sky and the green of the leaves. He looked, observed, waiting for an epiphany – as if at any moment, everything would make sense.

And the only thing he could see was a tinge of hope embedded in the last thread of words that still reverberated in the room.

Hoping was something that wanderers like himself knew all too well.

For Sasuke, that might be his only anchor at that moment, and he decided that for once, he'd do something he had denied himself all his life: he hoped.

He hoped that he was mistaken, he hoped there was a way, he hoped that everything could be fixed.

_He hoped that everything would be ok._

"I'll give you one thing though, for old times' sake." Sasuke heard his sensei mumbling, like a father would if he was trying to soften a scowl on a kid's face after an argument. Ironically, a scowl that was there because of something the parent had said or done. This time the Uchiha couldn't place the tone or the gesture as guilt or pity, but if he was right, it lingered close to sympathy.

Kakashi reached for a picture frame on his right, clutching it carefully. He brought it closer, holding it with both hands. His eyes were down casted to the memory, and they glimmered as he relived the memento.

Brushing the dust that was beginning to settle on the glass, Kakashi met his eyes trying to convey a fraction of what the reminiscence in his hands meant. "He's a wonderful kid. Stubborn like his mother – _and father_," he smiled, and it reached his eyes as they closed, "but as fierce and dedicated too. He'll probably graduate early, like his _uncle_."

The Hokage lifted the frame, extending it towards him as a peace offering.

Reluctantly, Sasuke stretched his arm to grab it, holding it with a gentleness that he rarely possessed. He held it firm though, afraid that this trinket of happiness would disappear too – fading away and out of reach, as everything else in his life.

He lowered his eyes to meet a memory that he wasn't part of – and he wondered how many more he had missed. The pictured looked recent, as if it was taken less than six months ago.

Kakashi was in the middle, his righteous place since the first Team Seven's picture, his eyes crinkled with the smile of a happy father – _and grandfather_. His Hokage's hat was tilted to one side the same way he used to keep his _hitai-ate_.

By the left, Naruto stood with his signature thousand-watt grin; one hand on his hip and the other ruffling dark locks. And even though the pose screamed familiarity and comfort, Sasuke knew this person was not the same he knew when he left, as the blonde's shoulders were rigid with responsibilities that were not his own.

Taking in the rest of the picture, the raven-haired nin touched the framed glass, sliding a finger over a bright figure – one that he had missed terribly in the past years.

_Sakura_.

She was on the right of the picture, holding an arm up with a victory sign in display.

If the situation was other, one that carried the lightness of familiarity and happy-long-waited reencounters, he'd snort at her pose. If Naruto's signature was that blinding grin, Sakura's was the childish sign coupled with closed eyes, and a beam full of joy.

Her figure hit him with more force than he expected, as she still looked like the same Sakura of all those years ago. She hadn't aged a single day; however, she carried the changes of a woman that went through motherhood too fast too soon.

She also carried a little boy on her left hip.

He noticed how her smile was still as warm and comforting. And her eyes – her eyes were on his _little copy, _while he leaned on Naruto's hand enthusiastically, sporting the same grin as the Dobe.

_Tch_.

The little boy – Akira, was dressed in black shorts and a forest green shirt. Looking at him, Sasuke saw another boy; helpless, running behind his brother's shadow.

_Running and running and never reaching._

Although, he could tell that Akira – differently than the other little boy – thrived around people that loved him. His eyes – as vivid as his mother's – told Sasuke that they did not carry the burden of an infamous clan or a second-best son.

_Son_.

He never considered this possibility.

He thought about having a family one day, but he never duelled much on the idea. After everything, he probably shouldn't be allowed to father any child at all, that's what he thought and what his mind had unconsciously accepted long ago.

That restrain, the one that was permanently present in his chest, twisted tighter, and unconsciously he tightened his grip on the frame.

_Could he be one though?_

_A father? _

When he decided to return, it was because he finally felt he deserved a home. He deserved to be with this family he found for himself, he deserved their friendship, their love and support. Except, it seemed that whatever happened in these past years**, **it dimmed his redemption exponentially, if not entirely.

It was all in vain, Sasuke thought, as he recalled for the nth time the sequence of events since his arrival.

"I saw you giving Naruto money." Sasuke said as that piece of information came to his mind. He met the Hokage's eyes and waited for an explanation with a perfectly arched brow, not giving the other man room to brush the statement that was more of a question.

"Oh, you caught that," Kakashi crossed his arms, chuckling blandly. "We thought you were pretty out of it to notice."

Sasuke sent him a glare that prompt him to continue. "Let's just say that we had an outstanding bet that was just settled."

The copy nin sighed when he noticed that the pressing glare was still pointed at him and decided to comply. "It was you. Well, it was about you and this mess." Kakashi gestured to the room as if there was any physical evidence of the said mess. "If you knew about Akira and didn't return anyway, abandoning your family – _willingly_ – or if you didn't know about him at all – _somehow_."

"How could I know?" The Uchiha's chakra flared and spiked as he said each word, clipped with the exasperation that he felt.

Not a second after, there were ANBU guards surrounding the windows and the door of the Hokage's office. His aura was threatening enough to trigger them, and Kakashi sighed again, waving them away.

The grimace on Sasuke's face didn't waver. The sudden onset of anger and frustration screeched inside of him. His posture stiffened as he felt a coldness hitting at his core, bringing a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

And as his mind continued to scream, demanding answers – clarification that apparently, he couldn't have – he watched how the Hokage seemed as tired as him; a deflated posture coupled with an empty gaze. The sight almost caused his composure to falter.

He considered for a moment if he should let the mask slip – the stoical appearance he carried – to show them how much this affected him, how much he was suffering. _To show them that he was human too._

But he was also a shinobi, and he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him again. He owed them that much.

Kakashi sighed wearily. "As I said, it's not my story. Wait for Sakura, will you?"

He nodded faintly, accepting that it was his time to wait.

* * *

He walked through the empty street, the farthest one from downtown. The last thing he needed now was to stumble upon someone that he knew.

The wind brushed the faded autumn leaves away from the path. The small ones twirled around, sticking to his cloak every now and then.

"Go for a walk… clear your head and come back here in a couple hours. It's clear that you need some fresh air." Kakashi had told him when the silence was too thick – with implicit beliefs and unsaid thoughts – to bear.

He strode the familiar road with the despair of someone that was bleeding to death and at the same time was being submerged under water, dragged down by the burden of the past, the present, and the future.

The slow pace along with the detachment he was feeling only prolonged each action, each second, and each step. With a sluggish but precise movement, he caught a fading leaf that floated towards him, closing it in his fist.

He stopped his steps abruptly then and brought his hand up. Loosening his hold warily, he stared at the offending foliage; crumpled, faded, and lifeless.

He wondered if it was a bad omen.

Every turn of his adult life was accompanied by the end of a season, fading leaves, and promises of new beginnings. And then he remembered a time where a buoyant girl – or perhaps a wishful thinker – filled a white hospital room with hope and wise words.

_Should he tell her? That as poetic as her words sounded __at that time,__ it was not a rule…_

That the good and bright that a new beginning – a new season and the turn of a leaf – can bring to life, it was not as constant as it seems. It was not a tangible and inevitable outcome.

_And if it was, if he was wrong… then, why Kami, that didn't apply to him?_

When his shinobi boots scratched against the gravels and stones – that concealed the intersection of the road and the new pavement – he noticed that he had resumed his walk spontaneously.

His mind, which tend to haunt him with memories of the past, had brought him to a place that marked only more of his mistakes. A lone stone bench.

Pushing aside the irony of this day, he brushed the leaves away from the cold surface and sat, bringing his arm to rest on his knee while he did the only thing he could: he waited.

He waited for her. He'd wait this time, for as long as she allowed him to.

* * *

**A/N: **And here's a glimpse of the future/present!

I had this outlined in the same day I wrote the prologue, but it was harder to finish/write than I thought. I know this is a bit sad and it brings more questions than answers, but please bear with me while I bring this story together the way I see it in my mind!

Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think! :)

xoxo


	10. Sweet Dreams

**A/N:** Hey!

There are several factors that caused my absence for the past month, but I don't want to bore you with my problems. Basically: life happens, English is not my first language, and inspiration sometimes doesn't strike. Hopefully this enormous chapter will compensate the sporadic update.

**~ Happy reading!**

* * *

It was a known fact – for most of his important people at least – that Uchiha Sasuke despised sweets. However, it seemed that sugary treats made the top of his shopping list recently.

The first time he had bought one, it was as a peace offering – a silent apology.

He bought Sakura some dango when he helped her during her errands. She had accepted his muted apology in a surprisingly graceful way – lacking a lecture, heated words, or the temper he'd expected – that he felt ridiculous for dreading to tell her the real reason of his absence on their session a few weeks ago.

That day, while following her around, he had watched her; the quick change of her features fascinated him. The unrestrained grin that reached her eyes, bringing a glint of bliss to them, making those specs of gold – that he now knew were always there – shine brighter within her green-green irises.

The color was so vivid and lively, a particularly alluring shade, that he decided to name it after her – as there was no known nomenclature that could do it justice.

He remembered how he had to drop his gaze, for he knew he could drown if he stared for a second longer.

Her cheeks had a faint touch of pink, and as she took that first bite – probably too big for her mouth – they puffed adorably.

_See what she does to you?_ Sasuke thought, as he realized how pathetic it was for the last Uchiha to call anything adorable. _He didn't do cute._ A grunt escaped him, approving the statement.

But then again, he remembered how she chewed in nearly slow motion, savoring each little piece, as she hummed and close her eyes in delight.

Those sounds – the little hums and content sighs – they were far more sinful than they were supposed to be.

An innocent humming of pure satisfaction had his mouth running dry and his mind going overdrive in a millisecond, filling his thoughts with ways to extract more of these delicious sounds from her… And what was supposed to be an endearing, _adorable_ moment, became a cruel, wicked torment.

* * *

The second time that he found himself purchasing yet another sickeningly-sweet delicacy, it was when the first signs of spring were clear.

Naruto suggested that he take her out for ice-cream after the blonde had found them having lunch _alone_.

At first, he suspected his loud best friend was pushing his buttons. Then he noticed how Sakura was off. She was fidgeting, looking anxious and insecure, no traces of the confident woman that had put him in a corner for influencing a child to misbehave under her watch.

Sasuke quickly recalled Naruto telling him once that in days like these, when she looked sad or distracted, it was a good idea to indulge her with sweets – _it does wonders for mood swings_, the blonde had told him confidently, the familiarity implied in the fact that his _dense_ teammate could read Sakura so easily – better than _him_ – made Sasuke ponder _again_ about how close they got during his absence.

_Would I know how to read her like that, too, if I'd stayed? _He thought, and then shook his head… _no good could come from 'what ifs' now_.

The Dobe had held him back then, gripping his shoulder in forewarning, before he could leave the ramen shop and follow Sakura to the ice cream parlour.

When the pinkette's ears were out of reach, Naruto squeezed his shoulder twice and offered him a shit-eating grin that verged on a smirk. "You're so into her that it's pathetic to watch this…" he somewhat whispered and circled his finger for emphasis, then pointed at the stools they were sitting on a few minutes ago. "Make a move before someone else does."

Sasuke shrugged him off, hissing a "Shut up, idiot," and walked away. The knucklehead snickered and swatted his back, sending him off.

It was easy to catch up to her, as she paced deliberately slow, lurking around the entrance but not quite going inside. The Uchiha graciously sidestepped her, a hand pushing her lower back towards the door – the action, quickly rewarded by a sweet and coy smile.

He paid for her ice cream cone, prodding her to choose anything she wanted, and her face lit up immediately. No signs of hesitancy or restraint. That alone was reason enough to thank his quick thinking (and _even_ Naruto) for the shared tip.

The raven-haired nin barely finished his silent gratitude prayer when he realized his mistake.

It was not the taking her for ice cream part that was the problem, nor the purchase per se, but what his primarily _innocent_ actions had brought upon himself.

He glanced at her from his spot by the cashier, as she quickly worked around the top scoop of her cone, confirming his suspicion that he was indeed doomed.

Trying not to think about his predicament, he chose to sit beside her on the bench across the street, for the direct sight of Haruno Sakura devouring the cold dessert with such expertise and determination was becoming too much for his overly accurate eyesight – and surprisingly active _imagination_.

Sasuke chanced another glance her way, and as her pink tongue darted, swirling around the icy mound and diving back into her mouth, he decided that the closeness was far worse than a direct, unswerving frontal view of the medic nin constantly licking her lips.

The effect of her usual moans intensified with the proximity as well, causing the hairs on his nape to stand, and a prickly sensation to run down his spine.

As she released an appreciative sigh and her eyelids fluttered closed, he pursed his lips in annoyance and concluded that his seat choice was his second mistake that day, increasing his suffering tenfold.

Exasperated, he closed his eyes, leaning back on the bench.

Although he was more than happy that the treat had improved her disposition, he couldn't help but think how it all seemed like a scene ripped off of one of Kakashi's dirty books.

And he thought that watching her eat dango had caused him enough torment…

_What's gotten into you Uchiha? She's a witch, that's it! She's a witch and she got you under her spell, making you go crazy and see your innocent teammate in more than a PG 13 way._

Sasuke reluctantly opened his eyes. After such train of thought, he was a little calmer than before, glad that the explanation his wicked mind provided was satisfactory enough.

Looking down at the source of his discomfort again, he paused. Predictably, the former missing nin was graced by another evil scene. He narrowed his eyes, groaning inwardly at such a fate.

_It was penance_, he decided, and he was paying _alright_.

* * *

The third time it happened, it was between an impulse and sense of gratitude… Perhaps, even admiration.

He was walking past the market, and he ended up in front of a bakery – _her_ favorite one.

As he tried to decide if what he was doing was even acceptable, he stopped his stroll and gazed through the window, detecting and cataloguing easily all her preferences amid numerous pastries.

He wanted to thank her this time _– when did the Uchiha ever go out of their way for that?_

In the middle of their ice cream 'deal-date', a few days ago, Sakura was summoned by the Godaime. She excused herself apologetically, saying she'd see him soon – which he insisted wasn't the reason why his steps were lighter on his way home that day.

Not even an hour later, a slug popped onto his coffee table, startling the shit out of him – not that he was going to tell anyone that, of course.

The summon – Sakura's Kuchiyose no Jutsu – informed him that he was needed in her office as soon as possible. With a repulsive scowl and a meek thank you, he stood up and left the safety of his home again.

When he strolled past her door, twisting the knob without knocking, and looking at her teasingly as she rolled her eyes at their door-locking jest, he wasn't expecting her to be so… cheerful, _happy_.

For a second, he wondered if that was because of the ice cream from earlier – or maybe it was because he was _there_… As soon as the thought came, he shooed it away, labeling it as nonsense.

The first thing she did once the door shut closed was to jump out of her chair, prompting it to stroll backwards and hit the wall – _hard_ – the movement so abrupt and spirited, he swore he heard a crack. Then, she clasped her hands together and rambled on energetically until she was out of breath.

And the only intelligible string or words that Sasuke could get from it was: 'the research, finally ready, you and Naruto, arms.'

Under two hours, he had the prosthetic limb attached to his stump. A new arm, completely operational.

The Uchiha was impressed with Sakura's attention to detail and how she had worked through the adaptation and tests with him. By the end of the day, he had a second arm again and all thanks to Sakura – _and Tsunade_ his mind pointed.

It was, rather strange, to have both arms again – at least, in the beginning.

For the past six months, he had worked hard, spending most of his time adapting himself to using only one arm. He was even able to acclimate with his kenjutsu and use his _Kusanagi_ with some level of proficiency.

And now, with two full functional limbs, he was lost. Not because he didn't appreciate it, but because he didn't feel he deserved it – not _at all_.

When he spotted her bright smile on their way home that night, he pushed that feeling away, because _how could he refuse something she spent so much time working on (and for him)? How could he take away that happiness from her? _

Still, he wasn't satisfied. He wasn't convinced that he should accept so much help and care, so freely. But he would give it a try, he decided, _for her_.

To celebrate, they finally had that Team Seven party that everyone was talking about since he woke up in the hospital after the war. The party to thank them for saving the world and all that jazz. And Sakura, being her chirpy self, said it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate their new arms as well.

She was thrilled with the completion of her project along with the Godaime, and seeing Sakura so content with her accomplishments was way better than having his arm back, he noticed. He was so proud of her that his newfound resolve to try harder was fueled in an instant.

He almost ditched the party that night though, however, the pink nin literally caught him when he was leaving, prompting him to stay with a sweet plead.

He was supposed to stay fifteen more minutes, but it became hours.

Sasuke couldn't leave once he followed her inside. After the shot he promised her, he hoped that the burning liquid would make his time there easier – he probably jinxed himself right at that moment.

Sakura perked up even more than her usual self – if that was even possible – after downing a few doses of liquid courage, and with a dazzling smile that touched her eyes, she ran to the dance floor with the Yamanaka girl in tow.

That would be fine, a normal thing… If she wasn't almost _naked_ and swaying her hips left and right as if she was born to charm and enchant.

_She's a witch_, his mind supplied effortlessly, answering all his unasked questions with the new preferred reply to explain anything pink and green. He groaned loudly; the sound muted by the blaring music.

When Sasuke noticed the stares of the majority of Konoha's male population towards the girls, especially _the_ _girl_, he couldn't help but to stay around and drift closer – if only to take care of her.

_What was she thinking? Was she looking for trouble? Tch._

In the end, he was the one that rescued her from the dance floor with the excuse that "Naruto was asking for the team photo". The medic nin beamed, snatching his new hand in hers and pulling him back to the bar.

Sasuke smirked triumphantly. If he knew it was that easy to make her stop her _unintentionally _sinful activity, he'd have done that hours ago. But he couldn't complain when he, too, enjoyed the show – even though he'd prefer that no one else had.

Exhausted after the mental run-down, he sighed at the memory of two nights ago.

He also remembered – _vividly_ – how he had walked her home afterwards. And then, awkwardly and as fast as he could, he left as she turned the knob of her front door, bidding her a goodnight over his shoulder.

To be honest, he was afraid that if she continued to blush prettily like that, and peek at him through her long lashes with those green-green eyes, he'd do something stupid. Something that they could _ possibly_ regret later.

He wouldn't lie to himself anymore; he was attracted to her… and not only to her _physique_.

Her mind was captivating; he could actually listen to her stories and arguments for hours. And that was a lot considering who he was. He noticed it one day in her office, how he could actually carry a decent intelligent conversation with her, even though his input was minimal.

Her strength was mesmerizing; he had seen her in action for the first time during the war, and it had taken him by surprise. And now with their Team Seven regular training sessions, she had left him mouth agape or smirking proudly on a regular basis. If he was anyone else, he could even say that it was breathtaking to watch her in action.

She moved graciously, like a ballerina, but the destructive path she left behind each punch, kick, and turn… was devastatingly beautiful.

Her tiny fists – covered in those tight leather gloves – were hypnotic; the fluid movements and the refined dance that her palms and fists performed were as alluring as the power they emanated.

But what he liked most about her… was without any doubt, her determination and her kindness. _And secretly, the way her emotions swung from one to another in a heartbeat._

She was the kindest person he knew – that was alive, that is – but still, her heart was so big for such a petite girl, that every time he was present during one of her generous and compassionate actions, he felt compelled to do something just as good.

_Sakura pushed him towards the light._

She accepted him, embracing all the darkness in him, and it didn't stop at that.

Sakura believed with all her heart and soul that there was good in him, that from darkness he could let the light shine within.

And he didn't know what exactly he did to deserve such unwavering devotion.

When that realization reached his core with a force that rocked his entire world, almost as strong as when Naruto got through him, he promised himself that he would become a good man, if not for himself, but as a kernel of gratitude to his friends.

He'd become good enough to deserve them, he'd be good enough to protect them. It was a promise, dare he say it, of a lifetime.

Although he declared to himself he'd stop bottling up his emotions, it was still difficult to admit and sometimes, accept them. _Old habits die hard._

Consequently, Sasuke worked in increments; one step at a time, slowly and unhurriedly, he stopped repressing thoughts when they came. He stopped feeling frustrated when facing the unknown. And then, one day, he stopped running.

He reached a point that he could no longer ignore everything that made Haruno Sakura, the perfect little thing that she is.

_So fucking perfect._

_So fucking beautiful._

Pink and green… the colors that painted his dreams, everything he saw behind closed lids.

He noticed, with an accurate precision that only an Uchiha could reach, every little thing that had changed since the last time he had truly allowed himself to just _look_ at her.

Although she was still pretty much Sakura, he could not deny the curves and the dips of the woman that she became.

The taut flesh of her stomach that he had so many times punched during training. The strength of her legs; legs that went for miles, so rounded, smooth, and powerful. And it almost went without saying, that backside of hers… that more often than not he caught himself watching.

_Damn witch and her damn alluring spells! Worming her way into his mind, tormenting his thoughts and burdening his will… It was a curse, unless…_

When he came to the realization that yes, Uchiha Sasuke was probably, certainly, maybe, falling in love – _fast_ – with Haruno Sakura, he felt as if a _chidori_ had coursed through him, down his spine, rooting him to the ground, and spreading goose bumps from the back of his neck down to his toes.

That was not today.

Nor yesterday.

It was a fact that happened and was mercilessly ignored a while ago – to put mildly.

As a good stubborn and stoic person that he is, Uchiha Sasuke chose to overlook the experience and what it meant altogether, blaming his lack of sleep and the cold tiles of his kitchen floor for such random reaction – be it physical or mental.

However, Naruto's words, as simple as they were, kept coming back to haunt him.

And he found himself questioning his feelings, his wants – consistently and continuously – more than he had done in his whole life.

Growing up, he wanted revenge, and it became his only aspiration. He felt exasperatedly angry... and alone. So, so alone.

When Team Seven came into the picture, he noticed how they filled the silence and the void in his life. He noticed how they distracted him from the anger, from his path of revenge. He was not _alone_ anymore. So, he left – because he was Uchiha Sasuke and he couldn't afford distractions.

When the war was over, right after his last battle with Naruto, he wanted nothing else more than to sleep into next month – next year, whatever. He was tired, awfully empty, and evidently exhausted.

And now, so many months after that, he was feeling conflicted; he wanted to redeem himself, work to atone his sins and past mistakes… but he also wanted _pink, pink, pink._

The automatic doors of the clinic slid open for him, and looking down to his hands, he finally noticed he did indeed buy another confection for her.

The raven-haired nin was so lost in his own thoughts that he bought the sweet concoctions on reflex before walking to the Hospital in a trance.

Passing the reception desk and the crazy-psycho-blonde woman (_read: Ino)_ in the hallway without a second glance, he marched towards Sakura's office like he was on a mission.

Steps precise and purposeful, he reached the door sooner than he expected, and with a deep breath he ignored his brain trying to pep-talk him and twisted the doorknob – already expecting it to be unlocked. He smirked.

It wasn't.

_What the—_

Without losing the hold on the knob, Sasuke quickly checked for her signature chakra, finding the soothing and warm energy in a heartbeat—

And she wasn't _alone_.

_Should he knock? _

Carefully, he released the doorknob and brought his arm up, curling his fingers into a fist to knock when an idea interrupted the action.

Leaning closer, he turned his head to the side and tried to listen to what was going on inside the room, concentrating a small amount of chakra around his ear to help him focus.

A voice he didn't recognize, but wasn't entirely unfamiliar, travelled through the oak planes of the door. It was a man's voice.

"…_the kiss was, wow! I can't describe it, Sakura."_

He heard Sakura giggling, replying immediately,_ "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." _

_The hell... a kiss? Enjoyed yourself?_

"_I can't get enough of it." _The man said with a wishful tone, sighing to punctuate the end of his words.

"_You'll need to wait until you score another date now."_

"_That's so mean!"_

"_No, it's only fair."_

The Uchiha – poised in front of the door, eavesdropping on his teammate's private conversation – scowled upon hearing the playful banter. Involuntarily he tightened his fist with his fingernails digging into his palm, leaving half-moons prints in its flesh, his knuckles turning white.

The man inside the office sighed dramatically in defeat, and the sound of a chair scraping against the linoleum signalled his upcoming departure_. _

"_Ok, I better get going then, I have a date to plan it seems."_

"_Good luck, can't wait to know what you'll pull off this time!"_

"_See ya and thank you, Sakura."_

If Sasuke was anyone else, he would have been caught prying. However, he's the fastest shinobi currently walking on the face of the planet – _or so he claims_ _–_ so when the door swung open, he was already two steps behind his previous spot, with a hand still poised to knock, his bored and emotionless mask in place.

"Ah, Uchiha," The young man exclaimed while composing himself, a hand over his chest holding his beating heart, the other still securing the doorknob. "Don't just stand like a ghost in front of doors like that, _Kami_."

"Aa, Inuzuka."

If the Dog's breath was expecting an apology, he'd be waiting for life, as the only thing Sasuke was throwing his way was a death glare.

And it didn't falter until Kiba sidestepped him and left the premises, the infamous eyes of the last Uchiha following each movement until he was gone.

"Sasuke-kun? I didn't expect you here until our session this afternoon, I was about to take my lunch break."

Sakura stood up, moving around her table to remove her medic coat as to emphasize that she was ready to leave, but the former missing nin had other plans.

He stepped inside her office, pushing the door close with one hand. Locking eyes with her, Sasuke twisted the door's lock without breaking their gaze, the click adding finality to his action.

"Do you need anything? How are you? And the arm?" Concern filled her eyes and her doctor mode kicked in, the avalanche of questions overwhelming the not-so-happy nin by the door.

Sasuke continued to stare, narrowing his eyes as he assessed her, the conversation he just overheard replaying repeatedly in his head.

"Did I interrupt something?" He cut in as she parted her lips to spill another string of questions.

"Uh, no. Kiba was just leaving," she confirmed nonchalantly.

"I see." No, _he didn't_. And a nagging voice inside of his head begged him to press this further, "Why was the door _locked_?"

"Well, wasn't that what you wanted me to do?" She replied coyly, a small smirk tugging her lips.

For a moment, he only stared at her. The question hanging thick in the air could be a direct reference to their harmless, simple inside joke. Because, he had certainly asked her – repeatedly – to just lock any damn door behind her back, for her own safety… not _privacy_.

He never considered that she would interpret his insistence as a means of discretion. The thought alone made his stomach churn.

Perhaps it could mean that she finally listened to him and moved on. She finally accepted his countless rejections and his indifference towards her affections – _since_ _she was, apparently, dating that idiot with stupid face tattoos, _he snarled inwardly_._

"Doctor patient confidentiality," Sakura said, breaking the silence and offering him an emptier explanation than before, "I lock the door when talking to patients."

The irritation inside him boiled to the brim.

He would accept if she didn't want to talk about it, but lying about 'talking to a patient' that was clearly not one? It was the last straw, and he felt his anger curling over the edge and washing over him like a tsunami.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura. You know I can tell when you're lying."

"I'm not, I'm—"

He moved closer with long strides and firm steps, determined to get to the bottom of _this_ unpleasant argument. "You're dating him? That dog?!"

The scowl marring his face dripped with disgust as he considered his own words, admitting that Haruno Sakura had a _boyfriend_ – _and you aren't the lucky bastard_, he heard Naruto's snickering voice echoing in his head.

The medic nin's face scrunched up, twisting in defiance and repulsion, her hands moved up in the universal sign of surrender. "What? _N_o_! _And Kiba is not—"

"Don't lie," he stepped closer and threw the sweet's container on top of her desk, increasing his volume after each string of words, "I heard you two talking about your _kiss_," the last word was hissed through gritted teeth, and as an afterthought he added, "and the next date."

He noticed how her face morphed in different emotions in half a second, from incredulity to disbelief to anger. "Moving fast, aren't we?" His voice cracked by the end of the sentence as if he was even afraid to spill out the accusation in the first place.

"Wha— you're mistaken, Sasuke-kun," she started, increasing her tone and moving to stand in front of him, but he didn't let her continue upon hearing the way she said his name.

"You should drop the _kun_ now, your boyfriend wouldn't like that…" He trailed off, regretting his suggestion already, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.

"WHAT?!" Her nostrils flared and her chest heaved as her breathing became erratic. She was fuming, a fiery spark lit her eyes as they narrowed on him.

"I didn't expect this from you though," he started, because he couldn't take this _theatrical_ reaction any longer. And because he was a jerk (or maybe because he wanted her to feel the same way he was feeling now), he continued without sparing a second to think it over, "—locking yourself in your workplace with the new boy toy… how _convenient_."

His words dripped with venom. Sasuke watched the pink nin as she trembled after his statement, she was beyond pissed at this point. _Good_, he thought, with a satisfied smirk on his face, that only aided to riled her up more.

"_Shut up_," she hissed and leaned closer, her fists tightly tucked by her sides. Her shoulders were shaking slightly, and he could only imagine how mad she was if she couldn't come up with any smart retorts. Then, she planted a hand on her hip, fixing him with a pointed stare. She was unquestionably calculating her next move before pouncing him with everything she had.

"What? Don't like to hear the truth?" He pocketed his hands, leaning forward and then down to look deeply in her eyes, "—because I do."

This was low, he knew, because even though that small irksome voice still told him not to trust her, to believe she was lying all along, that she was _a deceiving little creature _that tricked her way into his mind… he knew that her feelings for him were real – at some point, at least.

And it was so low of him to press this, to make a big deal out of all this mess. Because, in the end, he didn't deserve them – the feelings or her.

He was just a jealous brat bitter over something that slipped through his fingers before he had a chance to taste it. He clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth, if only it would help his sharp – typically unused – tongue to keep still.

"Oh, you do, don't you?" Sakura snapped, matching his volume this time. "I'll tell you the truth, you arrogant asshole," as the words bombarded the room, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at her dirty mouth, and he quickly schooled his face to conceal his surprise.

"Now you're going to listen to me," she cleared her throat and crossed her arms, pressing her breasts up against the material of her blouse. "I'm going to say this only one time, and you better engrave this in that thick brain of yours, _Uchiha_," her face hardened and her eyes pierced his with her resolve, "I don't know what kind of woman you take me for, and to be honest I don't really care at this point, but I'll tell you what kind of woman I am not."

Her temper came off in waves from her, and adding his own incensed state, the air around them was crackling and heated. Sakura's frown deepened as she continued her rant and he couldn't decide if he disliked this sight as much as he should.

"I'm not a woman that proclaims her feelings to the _wind_. I'm not a woman that engages in random embraces or locks herself up," her arms dropped and she lifted a hand, making a circling motion to add emphasis to her words, "with a random man, who isn't the _one_ she loves," she hissed-whispered those last words, making them her own personal weapon.

And then, as if that wasn't good enough to open his eyes, she continued in a tone so low that if he wasn't a shinobi, he'd have missed it completely. "I'm not a woman that gives herself off without meaning." She punctuated the last word with a chakra enlaced jab over his chest and before she could repeat the motion, he captured her wrist with his good hand.

"That all being said," she continued, breathing irregularly, "the _truth_ is, Kiba is indeed a patient, and the conversation that you clearly _eavesdropped on, you little shit, _ was about his date with _Tamaki_ – which in fact I helped him plan during his last _medical_ appointment. He told me all about it today, while he dropped by for a follow up to learn the results of his _medical_ _exams_."

She waited two more seconds for the information to sink in, and then resumed, a challenging smirk tugging at her lips: "Not that I need to explain myself to you, this is none of your business – you are not my father, you're not my brother, and you're definitely not my _boyfriend._"

She stopped then, and the room felt silent.

He missed the buzz in his ears, the sound of her loud voice speaking up to him angrily, because now, when they were just two people looking at each other in a suddenly too empty room, he could hear all the words Naruto told him, and then his internal rant from earlier – everything that happened since he woke up that day to this moment – before and after he stepped inside of her office.

Hi sharp mind put the puzzle together as fast as the strike of lightening to the ground, the similar sound of such phenomenon echoed inside him upon such insight. He searched her eyes, looking for any emotion other than unwarranted anger and he found confidence and pride daring him to say or ask anything.

He found her blushing too; the color rising and painting her fair skin.

That could be a natural reaction to her temper alone, but it could – certainly – be caused by their proximity as well. He was still bent down, towering her, their breaths mingling as she kept her head high, fierce glare unwavering.

Sakura was, he decided right then, _stunning_ like this.

When her emotions dominated her, when she expressed everything she was feeling with abandon.

As fast as everything started to make sense, something snapped inside of him, and he could hear the idiot's words like a whiplash: _"Make a move before someone else does." _

He pushed the thought of that idiot away at the same time he pushed her against the nearest wall.

Sasuke, by any means, had no idea what he was doing. Nonetheless, he moved with the grace a shinobi would when engaging in battle. An arm snaked around her waist while he stalked forward towards the wall in a swift motion, pinning the wrist he was still holding above her head.

The next thing he knew, he was swallowing her startled gasp, the heat of her lips pressed against his own. Still, he wasn't sure who moved first, erasing the thin space between them.

They say when you kiss someone you love – _or you think you love_ – there were supposed fireworks and butterflies and all that sparkling-heart-eyes-shit involved, he couldn't remember for sure.

Sasuke didn't feel any of those though.

_But when did he understand anything he felt at first?_

One thing was certain; time stopped still and there was only her and him. Nothing else, no one else. Doubs, uncertainty, hesitation; it was all gone.

Her eyes were shut close, and he allowed himself to sink in this new feeling that hammered inside of him, threatening to burst open his ribcage. Closing his eyes, surrendering, he jumped this free fall.

When he moved, same as in a battle, there was nothing gentle about this kiss. They were both vicious shinobi – couple that with their heated argument – and their passion transpired in their current activity effortlessly.

He devoured her; his lips punishing at first, still angry. He pressed hard, demanding everything from her. Then, slowly, afraid that she'd disappear if he was too brusque, he unlatched his fingers around her wrist, sliding them over her forearm, ghosting a path to her shoulder, allowing her to regain the movement of her arm.

His other arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer, her front glued to his. Her slight unbalance, almost imperceptible after that action, hinted him that she was probably holding herself on her tiptoes.

Their lips decelerated their frenzy, the kiss became less rough and more seductive. And it was then that he finally confirmed; her lips were as soft as they look, they felt as smooth as he thought.

She whimpered when his hand moved from her shoulder to her neck and twined through pink tresses, angling her so he could deepen their kiss.

Before he could do just that, her tongue swiped at the seam of his lips and their mouths both parted instinctively. Her arm finally dropped from the previous position, fisting a handful of his shirt as if it was a lifeline. Her other hand though, reached to his shoulder and hold onto it, securing her poise.

Sakura hummed approvingly when his tongue finally entered her mouth, exploring and caressing it impatiently. She was sweet, he thought, so, so sweet.

He never liked sweets, and he didn't remember exactly why. It was most likely a palate preference, and this was his usual explanation, since finding answers in his young happy days was still too much.

He learned quickly that _this_, the honeyed taste that was becoming so addictive, was purely Sakura. And it didn't bother him. It was not the same sweet of dangos, ice creams, and ripe fruits. It was her essence and he'd much like to drink that for the rest of eternity if he could help.

When she started to respond with the same fervor, lacing her fingers between dark locks, desperate and taking as much as he was giving, he groaned against her lips.

He leaned back and pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, savoring and nipping it. Opening his eyes, he gazed down at the pink minx in his arms and stilled.

The raven-haired nin was instantly hypnotized by the erotic image she unintentionally painted; a hint of green peeking at him through long lashes, rhythmic pants and whimpers escaping her red bruised lips, her blush spreading over her cheeks at his intense, smothering gaze.

The shade of her eyes darkened – if that was even possible – and he inwardly questioned if it was desire what he saw overflowing her expressive orbs. Before he could find his answer, she released a needy moan that filled the stifling room, unconsciously responding his question, and awakening something primal in him.

Swiftly, his hand left her hair, only to descend directly to the back of her thigh. He grasped the creamy flesh with less care than his previous touches, squeezing it before lifting her at eye level.

His first thought was that she was weightless; so easily maneuvered between his hands. He refrained a smug smirk even as she hitched in a breath, recovering from the hasty position change.

The movement made her bounce once before he could finally pin her to the wall with the weight of his body. That startled the kunoichi and a surprised, shocked expression covered her face.

And that simple sight alone – widened, shimmering, green eyes; the silent scream that parted her lips, shaping them into a "o"; and the pretty flush painting her ivory skin – told him that one day, this little witch that had not idea how sexy she could be, would be the death of him.

He lazily brushed his lips over hers, swiping his tongue teasingly, never pressing further. She followed his enticing dance, demanding more and he chuckled at her eagerness. Leisurely, he slid to her chin, and then nipped at her jaw.

When her head fell back, resting on the wall, he attacked the column of her neck, and continued his torturous ministrations at its expanse – because Uchiha Sasuke could tease too, and this was payback for all the times she, unintentionally or not, made him writhe.

Her hand, the one in possession of his dark locks, guided him to where she needed him most. A descending path that started from a sensitive spot behind her ears to the juncture between her neck and shoulders.

He quickly found a flimsy strap on his way and pulled it between his teeth, moving it slightly away from her skin. Without hesitation, he released the delicate material, and the elastic hit echoed around them, resonating the snap at her flesh.

Red quickly colored the skin around the stretchy band of her bra. The pink nin jumped at the assault; yelping loudly, forgetting completely where she was.

She resumed her position with a harsh grind of her hips against his. The movement – purposely done as a vain form of punishment – sent jolts of pleasure up his spine, scorching his skin in its awake. He fought the urge to shiver.

In a haste, he attacked her collarbone, groaning between licks and bites, a hand toying desperately with the buttons of her blouse. The medic nin tried, unsuccessfully, to shrug off the material that currently obstructed him from skin contact.

It didn't take long to have it half open though. A few buttons were already unfastened, and the pull of the fabric unlatched a couple more. He glanced down, peeking through dark bangs, to see the full mounds of her pressed breasts, encased in pale-blue lace, and so, so close to him.

He licked his lips in anticipation, dragging them around the thin strap of her bra, making her pant and tug at his hair. He smirked against her skin, ready to answer the silent, urgent plea in her whimpers; ready to give her more.

The newness of these feelings coursing through him didn't scare the dark-haired nin as much as he imagined. It was thrilling; a rush that filled all his senses at once, an uncontrollable desire to be lost in her.

Although that was pretty much his plan, the sentiment was erased quickly by a sequence of several unexpected events that wouldn't have the same result if they were in different circumstances (or maybe if they happened in a different order).

Before he could reach the next destination in his tantalizing path, there was a knock at the door, and then a loud, annoying voice travelled through the wood, which prompt Sakura to stiffen up on his hold.

"_Sakura, are you ok? I heard a scream."_

The kunoichi's fingers tightened around his locks, and they locked their eyes, the desperation clear in her wide ones.

He groaned, displeased with the interruption. Sakura shot him a reprimanded look before pushing his face against her breasts, a poor attempt to muffle any sounds escaping the impatient nin.

It was laughable; the action itself shouldn't have this effect – _the opposite effect_ – washing over their previous rush, when he had his entire face buried in her cleavage. If not for the person expecting a reply in the other side of the door, he would be enjoying the treatment.

The annoying woman – surprisingly not the one with pink hair for a change – twisted the doorknob, awakening Sakura from her frozen state.

He knew she was about to panic; her breathing was becoming erratic, causing her breasts to bounce with the heave of her chest, pressing up against his face. Instinctively he made a noise of protest and she hushed him with a hiss, deciding to finally reply.

"Uh, I'm ok, Ino."

"_You're late for our lunch— and why is your door locked? You never lock it."_

"Ah, I—I'm just freshening up – changing – it's too hot today. I'll be out in a second"

The raven-haired nin, nearly forgotten by the woman above him, huffed between her creamy mounds, amused with her lack of composure and choice of words.

"_Oh-kay."_ Ino dragged the word, probably not believing her best friend.

"Wait for me by the entrance, I won't take long. Promise!"

"_Huh, hurry, Forehead, I don't have much time left."_

Once they could no longer hear the faint click of the woman's shoes, Sakura finally relaxed and schooled her breathing. She removed her fingers from his hair, slowly almost reluctantly.

He missed the warmth, her touch, instantly. And trying to follow its direction, Sasuke lifted his head from the temporary pillows.

They locked eyes and he was met with a storm of emotions and questions. Things that he didn't want to try to decipher or understand, at least not right now under her powerful gaze.

She uncrossed her legs, that were securely around his waist, and slowly slid them to the floor as his grip on her thigh loosened. He carefully helped her, moving his hands so gently to support her body, an action that contradicted the way he previously moved her. The preceding passion, nearly ignored now, replaced by something deeper.

He held onto her until she regained her balance and her feet were stable on the floor. Sensing some discomfort of her part, he stepped back, adding some space between them.

She broke eye contact first, when the silence was becoming too much. She cleared her throat and turned to fix her clothes. The former missing nin was almost certain that he saw a flash of worry, possibly doubt, in her eyes before she gave him her back.

Not sure what was the etiquette when getting caught making out wildly in the workplace, he glanced around and quickly found his route of escape, completely ignoring the hypocrisy of the words he threw in her face about ethics not even one hour ago.

He moved towards her chair and unlocked the window beside it. Glancing behind his shoulder, he opened his mouth to say something, anything… but came down with nothing.

As if reading his internal contradiction, the kunoichi saved them both by whispering a hopeful "See you later?", which he replied with his typical "Aa."

He hated how she sounded; unsure, lacking that confidence he liked so much. If he was another type of man, he'd cross the distance between them – physical and metaphorical – and take her in his arms, assure her that _this_ was it, and maybe he'd add one more kiss or two for good measurement.

But Sasuke still had a long way to go, he knew that, and he wouldn't become a good… _boyfriend?_ his mind enquired… a good _partner_ from day to night.

He jumped for the second time that day, through the window this time, towards all the rooftops that would take him to the safety of his still new home, away from the object of his affections, away from the confusing and abrupt situation that took place between those four walls, away from pink and green.

For the first time, he wasn't running because he wanted to, and that was progress, he decided.

The silence was his friend now, and it would accompany him home again, where he'd get lost in his own thoughts… because Sasuke wasn't someone that could easily seek the help of a best friend to talk about situations like this one.

This, whatever this was and whatever this would become, he'd need to digest and figure out by himself. And the big question hovering over his head was: _where do we go from there?_

A smirk tugged at his lips, and he allowed it to take its course and form a small content smile, because life had provided him the answer before he had formed the question.

She'd soon find the gift he left behind, on top of her desk. And it seemed that he had a date to plan after all.

* * *

**A/N: **And that's a wrap! (for this chapter)

**7,522 words, 19 Word pages. Phew!**

So, I named this chapter "Sweet Dreams" in connection with all the sweets Sasuke had bought, plus how Sakura is indeed sweet, and because "sweet dreams are made of this" just like the song - SasuSaku make sweet dreams! xD

So, we got some action! (and jealous Sasuke because we love him) and I went back to the past, because we still have a baby to make ;) lol

I have reviewed my story timeline plan and I think we have just a couple more chapters until the full transition to the 'present'.

I hope you guys are liking the development of the story so far, let me know what you think :D


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